269,20977356 
R32 


Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday  Meetings  at  Spring- 
field, 111 ino is .  Souvenir . 


i 


^697209773561 
R32 


A. 


at 


- April 

1909 


The  purpose  of  this  book  is  to 
help  broaden  and  continue  the  in- 
fluence of  this  great  campaign  for 
God,  home  and  mankind,  and  fur- 
nish a  suitable  reminder  and  per- 
manent record  for  every  hearer, 
worker  and  convert. 

It  has  the  sanction  of  the  Rev. 
W.  A.  Sunday  and  the  endorse- 
ment of  the  Springfield  Minister- 
ial Association. 

By  agreement  a  specified  por- 
tion of  the  sales  of  this  book  will 
be  donated  to  the  Ministerial  As- 
sociation for  the  benefit  of  the  pro- 
posed Y.W.C.A.  of  Spring  field. 


C.  U.  WILLIAMS,  Publisher 

BLOOMINGTON,  ILLINOIS 


Copyright    by    C.U.Williams,    1909 


William 


'The  Greatest  Evang-elist  since  Martin  Luther' 
—Jfarry  Monroe 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


IILLIAM  ASHLEY  SUNDAY  is  the  best  beloved 

and  the  most  abused,  the  simplest  and  the  most 
misunderstood,  the  most  soulful  and  the  most  like 
a  vaudeville  performer,  the  most  powerful  in  ora- 
tory and  the  least  appealing  to  the  emotions,  the 
most  persuasive  and  the  most  controversial,  the 
most  scholarly  and  the  plainest,  not  to  say  coarsest, 
the  greatest  poet  in  essence  and  the  greatest  scrapper,  of  any 
man  on  the  forum,  the  platform,  or  the  stage  of  the  world 
today. 

He  has  been  styled,  the  polygonal  preacher,  because  he  has  so 
many  sides,  each  a  complete,  finished,  forceful  fact.  A  charac- 
ter picture  of  the  man,  to  be  complete,  must  be  a  description 
of  each  of  these  baker's  dozen  sides  of  his  personality,  none  of 
which  is  much  more  important  than  any  other  one.  The  most 
that  can  be  done  within  a  small  space — or  indeed  within  any 
limitation  of  space — is  to  sketch  in  broad  lines  the  mere  out- 
lines of  this  evangelist  who  is  preaching  the  gospel  of  peace  on 
earth  and  fighting  the  devil  with  the  hottest  of  fire  at  the 
same  time. 

His  father  was  killed  in  the  civil  war.  The  little  boy  was 
sent  to  the  Iowa  home  for  soldiers'  orphans.  Later  he  made 
his  own  living  at  a  youthful  age,  and  his  school  teacher  of  that 
time  says  she  would  often  watch  him  on  the  playground  and 
wonder  whether  he  would  be  the  greatest  crook  or  the  greatest 
power  for  good  in  America — she  was  even  then  sure  he  would 
be  one  of  the  two.  The  boy  took  the  right  hand  road. 

When  a  young  man  he  was  a  locomotive  fireman  on  the  Chi- 
cago and  Northwestern  Railroad  and  lived  at  Marshalltown. 
This  was  also  the  home  of  the  famous  A.  C.  Anson,  captain  of 
the  old  Chicagos,  who  watched  Billy  Sunday  play  baseball  on 
corner  lots  while  at  home  in  Marshalltown.  Anson  took  him  to 
Chicago,  discovered  in  him  a  great  baseball  player,  and  Sunday 
held  the  record  for  base  running  for  years,  a  record  which  he 
still  holds ;  was  the  second  man  chosen  on  the  Ail-American 
team  to  tour  the  world — an  accident  to  his  knee  kept  him  from 
making  the  tour — and  was  a  popular  idol  of  the  fans. 

An  old  time  catcher  for  the  Louisville  team  says  that  in  those 
days  when  en  route  the  rest  of  the  men  would  play  poker  in  the 
Pullman,  but  Billy  Sunday  was  always  back  on  the  cushions 
with  a  book.  He  has  kept  close  to  books  ever  since.  He  has  a 
remarkable  faculty  of  choosing  the  very  best  and  most  authori- 
tative writing  on  any  particular  subject  and  reading  that  only — 
and  hence  the  range  of  subjects  upon  which  he  is  thoroughly 
and  accurately  informed,  includes  almost  everything  from  his- 
tology to  astronomy  and  from  bacteriology  to  history — it  is  a 
little  interesting  to  notice  that  chemistry  is  the  one  topic  un- 
mentioned  in  his  sermons.  Three  medical  college  professors  who 
met  at  the  end  of  his  sermon  which  includes  a  half  hour  of  the 
deepest  microscopical  pathology,  agreed  that  William  A.  Sun- 
day is  the  only  layman  they  ever  heard  or  read  who  was  accu- 
rate in  all  he  said  about  medical  science. 

One  night  a  bunch  of  baseball  players  strolling  along  a  Chi- 
cago street  ran  into  a  curbstone  evangelist  and  stopped  to  be 
amused.  Sunday  stayed  after  the  others  went  on.  He  went 
from  there  to  the  Pacific  Garden  mission,  where  he  was  con- 
verted. He  kept  on  playing  baseball,  and  nobody  who  ever 
heard  it  will  ever  forget  his  own  description  of  how  the  others 
of  that  famous  Chicago  team  approved  his  home  run  into  Chris- 
tianity. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


A  little  later  he  was  employed  by  the  Chicago  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  at  a  small  salary,  only  part  of  it  paid 
during  the  panic  of  1893,  and  refusing  offers  of  $500  a  month 
to  return  to  the  diamond.  As  a  part  of  his  work,  he  addressed 
groups  of  men — he  always  did  know  men,  because  of  his  early 
life  and  hard  struggles.  The  addresses  became  longer  and 
stronger  with  the  growth  of  the  work  and  experience  in  it. 
That  great  evangelist,  Wilbur  F.  Chapman,  took  Sunday  away 
from  the  Chicago  Y.M.C.A.  to  be  his  assistant.  Sunday  learned 
the  art  of  evangelizing  and  after  learning  it  thoroughly  treated 
it  as  Napoleon  treated  the  art  of  war — he  re-made  it  for  him- 
self, so  that  its  old  practitioners  hardly  recognize  it,  and  at  the 
same  time  made  it  produce  victories  hitherto  undreamed  of. 
The  William  A.  Sunday  methods  of  campaigning  for  Christ  are 
unlike  any  others;  they  include  the  best  of  those  of  the  past 
and  many  things  unique;  probably  only  Sunday  could  use  them 
successfully  in  all  their  details;  but  it  seems  certain  that  they 
have  factors  not  found  in  most  others  which  really  are  the 
corner  stones  of  successful  work  in  evangelism.  Some  of  the 
chief  parts  of  the  art  of  evangelism,  as  practiced  by  William  A. 
Sunday,  are  these: 

Absolute  accuracy  in  every  statement  made,  whether  one  of 
the  essential  parts  of  the  argument,  or  merely  an  illustration ; 
hew  close  to  the  line  that  Jesus  Christ  laid  down,  regardless  of 
the  falling  chips,  and  wherever  that  line  leads ;  use  language 
that  everybody  can  understand,  never  talk  down  to  an  audience, 
but  be  lucid  to  the  most  ignorant  while  you  are  talking  up  to 
the  most  scholarly  persons  before  you ;  avoid  sectarianism ; 
demand  united  work  from  all  the  evangelical  churches  in  the 
city,  and  push  united  work  by  all  the  members  of  those  churches; 
roast  the  skin  off  vice  and  sin  in  all  its  forms,  from  backsliding 
and  carelessness  to  murder  and  adultery,  rub  salt  into  the  burnt 
flesh,  and  then  apply  a  healing  balm  that  causes  the  object  of 
the  criticism  to  leave  the  tabernacle  chastened  in  spirit,  but  lov- 
ing the  rod  that  smote  him ;  avoid  all  fads  and  fancies,  all 
tangential  movements  of  society,  but  do  a  common  thing  in  a 
most  unusual  way;  and — many  others. 

Starting  with  small  towns  and  a  few  hundred  converts  at 
each  series  of  meetings,  the  same  plan  of  campaign  has  been 
used  for  all  the  years  involving  campaigns  in  cities  of  all  sizes, 
and  the  first  meetings  years  ago  were,  so  far  as  Mr.  Sunday  is 
concerned,  almost  exactly  like  the  meetings  in  Springfield.  Of 
course,  some  minor  modifications  have  been  made,  but  these  are 
few.  Always  there  are  the  first  sermons  to  get  the  church 
members  back  out  of  the  world  into  the  influence  of  Christ  and 
to  get  the  public  to  come  to  the  tabernacle — the  public  seems  to 
find  its  greatest  attraction  in  hearing  church-member  hypocrites 
and  Pharisees  skinned  like  eels.  Always  the  strenuosity  of  the 
sermons  almost  imperceptibly  lessens  gradually  until  the  preacher 
who  preaches  as  man  never  preached  before  is  less  athletic  and 
more  rhetorical  about  the  middle  of  the  series.  Then,  to  the 
amazement  of  people  who  judged  the  man  from  his  first  pulpit 
stunts,  the  Reverend  William  Ashley  Sunday  preaches  like  the 
great  orator  that  he  is,  the  scholar  that  he  is,  the  poet-philoso- 
pher that  he  is.  This  many  sided  man  cannot  be  even  sketched 
within  a  hundred  pages.  There  is  competent  authority  for  say- 
ing of  him  these  superlatives  as  being  strictly  true : 

He  understands  the  minds  and  feelings  of  men  as  few  men 
ever  have  done. 

He  is  one  of  the  greatest  orators  the  world  has  ever  seen — 
and  this  is  proved  by  the  results  of  his  work. 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


He  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  stylists  in  literature,  his 
perfect  imitation  in  one  hour  of  the  styles  of  Carlyle,  Gibbon, 
Ingersoll,  and  several  other  writers  of  individual  styles  being 
an  unprecedented  feat. 

He  is  said  by  scientists  to  be  the  most — and  indeed  the  only — 
perfectly  accurate  preacher  in  matters  of  science.  And  a  large 
part  of  his  sermons  deal  with  science. 

He  appeals  entirely  to  the  reason  of  the  people,  and  rarely 
or  never  to  their  emotions,  and  in  this  he  is  the  greatest  of 
evangelists  in  the  opinion  of  many  people. 

In  numbers  of  converts,  dramatic  height  of  scenes,  and  won- 
derful stirring  of  the  audience,  several  of  his  meetings  have 
eclipsed  anything  in  the  history  of  evangelism  since  pentecost — 
and  the  most  of  these  have  been  meetings  for  men. 


A. 


THE  biographer  who 
omits  to  study  the 
wife  of  his  subject 
certainly  will  miss  the  key 
to  his  problem  of  investi- 
gation. The  world  talks  of 
the  influence  of  the  moth- 
ers upon  its  men ;  but  it, 
curiously  enough,  generally 
omits  appreciation  of  the 
strong  influence  of  the  wife 
upon  any  man;  and  per- 
haps more  men  have  been 
made  and  unmade  by  their 
wives  than  by  their  moth- 
ers, when  heredity  is  omit- 
ted from  the  matter. 

Mrs.  William  A.  Sunday 
was  a  girl  of  great  strength 
of  character  when  she  was 
Miss  Helen  A.  Thompson, 
the  daughter  of  a  Chicago 
business  man.  She  married 
a  famous  baseball  player 
and  found  herself  the  wife 
of  one  of  the  greatest  of 
evangelists — and  she  not 
only  made  the  revolution- 
ary change  with  him  but  is 
one  of  the  chief  causes  of 
William  A.  Sunday  being 
what  he  is  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world.  She  was  a 
church  worker,  a  shining 
exception  to  the  rule  of 
the  results  of  marrying  a 
man  to  make  him  better. 
She  upheld  the  hands  of 
her  husband  when  he  was 
in  poverty  and  the  poorly 
paid  worker  of  the  Chicago 
Y.M.C.A.,  writing  letters 
declining,  for  seven  times  his  salary,  to  return  to  the  baseball 
field.  When  William  A.  Sunday  was  starting  out  as  an  evan- 
gelist along  entirely  new  lines  of  endeavor  which  merged  into 


>"//<*  (>i  S      Hf£  TfifiC?  f 
^  (;WC-f 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


entirely  unprecedented  lines  of  achievement,  his  wife  helped 
greatly  to  keep  up  his  courage,  keep  him  along  the  line  he  had 
chosen,  and  keep  him  as  much  as  possible  free  from  worries. 

Mrs.  Sunday  correlates  her  husband  perfectly — they  are  not 
at  all  similar,  and  she  is  strongest  where  he  is  weakest  and 
weakest  where  he  is  strongest.  If  he  had  a  helpmeet  like  him- 
self, Mr.  Sunday  might  be  plunging  into  hot  water  every  month 
and  every  year.  Luckily  for  him,  his  wife  guides  him  around 
and  over  most  obstacles,  keeps  his  fingers  out  of  the  fire,  and 
does  what  Mr.  Sunday  never  thinks  of  doing — look  after  his 
own  interests. 

The  wedding  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  A.  Sunday  was  not 
the  kind  that  one  finds  pictured  in  Paul  and  Virginia,  by  any 
manner  of  means ;  it  is  a  twentieth  century  marriage  of  two 
distinct  individuals  joining  as  helpmeets  without  either  sub- 
merging a  personality  in  the  other — certainly  not  the  old  kind 
of  the  entire  submergence  of  the  wife  in  the  husband.  They 
disagree  about  as  many  things  as  other  people  do — but  each 
knows  in  what  things  the  other  is  best  informed  or  strongest, 
and  the  one  best  qualified  always  decides  any  question.  The 
result  of  this  is,  that  they  are  more  free  from  actual,  important 
disagreements  of  the  kind  called  love  spats  or  marital  troubles 
than  most  people.  This  is  a  match  of  brains  as  well  as  of 
hearts,  of  sense  as  well  as  of  souls,  and  of  respect  as  well  as 
of  love. 

Mrs.  Sunday  does  what  she  can  in  public  during  a  series 
of  meetings  by  her  husband.  But  the  most/  important  thing  she 
does  is  to  keep  her  husband  able  to  do  the  great  things  he  does 
in  every  city  in  which  he  works.  She  is  a  perfect  wife  for  a 
very  remarkable  man. 


WAS  born  in  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  and  spent 
a  good  share  of  her 
younger  days  near  Burlington, 
Iowa.  She  attended  high 
school  and  Central  College  in 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Her 
father  was  a  Welsh  preacher 
and  was  appointed  district 
missionary  under  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society.  Her 
mother  was  a  Canadian,  from 
the  province  of  Ontario.  She 
was  married  five  years  ago  to 
Mr.  Fred  Fischer,  and  it  is 
whispered  by  "those  who 
know"  that  their  married  life 
is  one  continuous  honeymoon. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  have 
their  home  in  Chicago.  Mrs. 
Fischer  generally  spends  a 
week  or  two  with  her  husband 
at  each  place  where  meetings 
are  held,  and  then  the  vast 
audiences  are  given  a  genuine 
treat  when  she  and  her  hus- 
band sing  together. 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Any  man  who  tries  to  make  politics  out  of  the  whiskey  ques- 
tion is  too  dirty  and  low  down  for  me  to  look  at. 

I  defy  any  one  to  show  me  anything  the  saloon  has  done  that 
is  commendable. 


If  I  was  a  devil  I  would 
than  in  some  of  the  men. 


rather  live   in  a  good    decent  hog 


What  I'm  trying  to  do  this  afternoon  is  to  get  the  hog  that's 
in  you  out  so  you  won't  have  to  carry  slop  to  it. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


THE  Rev.  W.  A.  Sun- 
day says  that 
"Fred"  Fischer  (he 
always  calls  him  by  the  pet 
name  of  "Fred")  is  the 
best  chorus  conductor  in 
the  world.  The  evangelist 
ought  to  know.  He  has 
been  with  all  the  great 
evangelists  from  Moody 
and  Sankey  to  Torrey  and 
Chapman,  and  is  ac- 
quainted with  the  most 
successful  chorus  leaders 
and  soloists  In  the  work 
to-day.  Mr.  Sunday's  high 
ideals  of  what  the  leader 
of  gospel  song  in  his  meet- 
ings, at  least,  must  approx- 
imate unto  are  attainable 
only  by  those  who  are 
born  leaders  of  men.  He 
is  after  results,  and  be- 
lieves the  gospel  can  be 
sung  into  people  as  well  as 
preached  into  them. 

He  has  been  with  Mr. 
Sunday  nine  years.  That 
alone  speaks  volumes.  He 
has  qualities  that  wear 
well.  He  is  first  of  all  a 
Christian  and  always  a 
gentleman.  He  has  proved 
resourceful  enough  to  stand 
the  strain,  the  changes  and 
the  demands  of  the  years. 
He  knows  what  the  people 
want  and  gives  it  to  them. 

When  Mr.  Fischer 
leaves  a  city  all  the  choirs 
and  congregations  uniting 
in  the  meetings  note  the 

impulse  of  his  splendid  work.  They  want  to  sing.  So  a  revival 
in  congregational  singing  takes  place.  And  every  local  chorus 
leader  knows  better  how  to  conduct  a  chorus  and  what  people 
like  to  sing  or  listen  to. 

Nature  and  art  have  done  much  for  this  remarkable  man, 
but  the  grace  of  God  has  done  more.  And  it  is  noticeable  that 
he  never  allows  his  chorus  or  himself  to  sing  for  entertainment 
or  simply  to  kill  time.  The  motive  which  dominates  Fred  Fischer 
is  responsible  for  the  remarkable  results,  and  stands  the  test  of 
time.  For  no  one  is  so  cordially  welcomed  wherever  he  has 
been  than  Fischer. 

Frederick  George  Fischer  was  born  at  Mendota,  111.,  July  II, 
1872.  His  mother,  who  was  a  sister  of  Peter  Bilhorn,  (of  the 
well  known  Bilhorn  Bros.,  publishers,  Chicago)  was  burned  to 
death  when  Fred  was  a  year  and  a  half  old.  When  ten  years 
of  age  the  family  moved  to  Laramie,  Wyo.  He  entered  the  big 
moulding  works  in  that  city  and  became  an  expert  mechanic  in 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


the  bolts  and  nuts  department.  At  eighteen  he  was  converted  in 
the  Baptist  church  at  Laramie,  and  was  awakened  to  his  in- 
heritance, a  rare  voice,  and  to  his  call  to  a  wider  service,  the 
evangelistic  field.  Failing  sight  forced  the  diffident  young  man 
to  mention  his  ambition  to  his  uncle,  Peter  Bilhorn,  who  discov- 
ering his  nephew  possessed  a  voice  worth  cultivating,  gave  Fred 
every  advantage  for  its  cultivation,  always  with  the  object  in 
view  of  using  his  voice  to  the  glory  of  God. 

After  studying  voice  culture  under  such  masters  as  F.  W. 
Root,  Frank  Webster,  and  W.  W.  Hinshaw,  in  Chicago,  Mr. 
Fischer  started  out  on  the  strength  of  his  Lord's  commission  "to 
sing  the  gospel  to  every  creature." 

In  January,  1900,  Mr.  Fischer's  chance  came.  He  was  ready 
in  all  but  an  adequate  wardrobe.  And  those  who  have  been  ac- 
customed to  see  the  always  immaculately  dressed  and  groomed 
musical  director  since  he  has  been  with  Mr.  Sunday,  have  no 
idea  of  the  struggle  he  had  to  look  decent,  nine  years  ago,  when 
Sunday  wired  him  to  take  charge  at  Bedford,  Iowa.  He  split 
the  only  coat  he  had  under  the  arms  in  his  anxiety  to  make 
things  go,  and  to  show  he  could  "deliver  the  goods"  he  knew 
Sunday  wanted.  He  made  good,  and  has  kept  on  doing  so  ever 
since.  Mr.  Oliver  and  Fred  Fischer  are  the  only  musical  di- 
rectors Mr.  Sunday  has  had  in  his  nearly  seventeen  years  of  pub- 
lic work. 

What  there  is  in  his  line  Mr.  Fischer  knows  by  heart.  His 
audiences  will  do  what  he  asks  them  because  he  has  a  purpose 
in  some  of  his  strange  requests.  Everything  Fischer  does  leads 
up  to  decision  and  service  for  Christ.  And  that  is  why  when 
the  invitation  is  given,  and  half  his  chorus  will  sometimes  leave 
to  work  among  the  undecided,  this  modest,  patient,  and  loyal 
gentleman  sticks  to  his  post,  and  the  true  reason  why, — everybody 
loves  Fred  Fischer. 


BILLY  SUNDAY,  JR.,  7  years  old,  had  been  holding  prayer 
meetings  for  boys  at  the  Peters  residence,  and  at  some 
of  these  meetings  as  many  as  250  boys  have  been  present. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  was  the  one  that  "Billy,  Jr.," 
called  the  boys  together  to  pray  with  him  for  his  kidnaped 
friend,  young  Whitla,  of  Sharon,  Pa. 

Kneeling  in  the  sunlight  in  the  glass  porch  at  the  Peters 
home,  257  boys  joined  in  a  prayer  that  Willie  Whitla,  the  little 
Sharon,  Pa.,  boy  who  was  kidnaped  last  week,  might  be  re- 
turned to  his  parents,  unharmed.  The  prayer  meeting  was  led 
by  Billy  Sunday,  Jr. 

"We  were  in  Sharon  more  than  a  year  ago,"  said  Billy, 
"and  I  met  Willie  Whitla  then.  He  was  one  of  my  best 
friends.  You  know  that  bad  men  kidnaped  Willie  last 
week  and  his  father  and  his  mother  are  heart-stricken  over 
his  absence.  Let's  pray  that  Willie  is  returned  and  that  the 
men  who  took  him  may  suffer  a  penalty." 

Billy  led  in  the  prayer,  himself,  and  in  his  own  childish  Eng- 
lish fervently  prayed  for  the  burden  of  his  heart. 

The  Sunday  afternoon  prayer  meetings  led  by  Billy  Sunday, 
Jr.,  proved  just  as  popular  among  the  youngsters  as  the  meet- 
ings conducted  at  the  tabernacle  by  Billy's  father.  The  first  one 
had  a  crowd,  but  the  second  one  they  started  early,  swarmed  to 
the  Peters  home  like  the  women  did  at  the  armory  and  by 
actual  count,  there  were  257  boys  on  hand  when  Billy  announced 
the  opening  song.  The  size  of  the  crowd  took  the  little  fellow 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


off  his  feet  and  he  was  forced  to  summon  his  sister,  Miss  Helen, 
and  Miss  Edith  Anderson  to  assist  him. 

"The  boys  were  jammed  into  the  glass  porch  like  sardines," 
said  Miss  Sunday  after  the  meeting,  "but  considering  the  crowd, 
they  behaved  admirably.  It  was  the  largest  prayer  meeting 
brother  ever  conducted. 

But  the  backwardness  Billy  felt  when  the  meeting  opened 
was  soon  forgotten. 

"Come  on,  now,  you  kids  and  whoop  'er  up,"  began  the  boy. 
"We're  going  to  sing  "Christ  is  the  Sunny  Side,"  and  I  will 
play  Fischer.  If  you  don't  sing,  I'll  talk  to  you  like  I  have 
heard  him  talk  to  sonre  choirs.  Let's  go." 

Billy's  admonition  was  sufficient.  The  neighborhood  rang 
with  the  volume  of  song  from  the  youngsters.  Their  singing 
could  be  heard  for  a  block  and  they  put  an  enthusiasm  into 
their  worship  which  would  shame  their  elders  at  the  big  build- 
ing at  First  and  Adams  streets. 

"That's  pretty  good,"  said  the  boy,  "only  it  isn't  enough. 
Now,  I  am  going  to  divide  you  kids.  You  fellows  there  sing 
it."  They  did,  only  with  more  enthusiasm  than  they  had  be- 
fore. "Fine,"  ejaculated  Billy  when  the  chorus  had  died  away. 
But,  I  am  sure  this  crowd  on  my  left  can  do  better  than  that. 
Let  us  see."  Then  the  boys  on  the  left  sang  it  and  for  several 
moments,  the  two  sections  vied  in  making  the  most  noise. 

Then  a  new  idea  struck  the  leader.  "You  kids  like  to 
whistle,  I  know,  because  I  do,  and  I  get  'called'  every  day  for 
whistling  around  the  house.  Now  we  will  whistle  the  song,  first 
one  section  and  then  the  other.  All  ready !" 

They  whistled  the  song  and  then  sung  it  again,  first  by  sec- 
tions, then  all  together.  Following  this,  they  joined  in  "The 
Fight  Is  On,"  and  "Beautiful  Land  of  God."  Miss  Anderson 
sang  "Golden  Bells"  as  a  solo  and  the  selection  made  a  big  hit 
with  the  boys. 

Following  the  song  service  Billy  spoke,  shortly.  "There's 
too  many  here  and  the  time  is  too  short  for  me  to  do  much 
spouting,"  said  the  boy,  "but  I  know  a  story  I  want  to  tell.  I 
was  reading  the  other  day  of  a  missionary  who  was  in  Africa 
working  among  the  heathen.  The  missionary  was  giving  them 
presents,  and  to  one  old  woman  he  gave  a  mirror.  She  looked 
into  it  and  when  it  revealed  how  homely  and  ugly  she  was,  she 
broke  it.  That  is  the  reason  more  of  us  do  not  read  our  Bible. 
It  shows  us  how  ugly  and  sinful  we  are  and  we  don't  like  to 
hear  of  these  things." 

"Now,  boys,  the  meeting  is  your's,"  said  Billy.  "Don't  let 
the  time  hang  on  our  hands,  but  let's  get  busy."  The  invitation 
was  all  that  was  needed  and  for  nearly  an  hour  the  boys  joined 
in  a  prayer  service,  the  sincerity  of  which  was  evident  to  those 
who  were  older  who  attended.  A  testimony  by  one  boy  would 
be  followed  by  a  prayer.  The  little  boys  spoke  in  short  sen- 
tences and  told  Jesus  in  their  own  way  what  they  wanted.  The 
meeting  was  one  of  the  most  inspiring  of  the  entire  campaign. 


Eighty  per  cent  of  poverty  is  due  to  drink. 

Personal  liberty !  Personal  liberty  !  Say !  Has  personal  lib- 
erty gotten  so  low  you  have  to  smash  into  a  stinking  saloon  to 
find  men  to  stand  up  for  it? 

Majority  rules  in  this  country — it  is  the  foundation  of  this 
country.  The  shipping  of  liquor  into  local  option  territory  is  a 
blow  at  majority  rule. 


10 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


ilra.  &a*  Ufatirtpaii 


M 


RS.  MUIREAD,  one 
of  the  most  effici- 
ent assistants  in 
the  meetings,  besides  con- 
ducting the  women's  meet- 
ings in  the  campaign,  and 
holding  daily  meetings  in 
many  places,  Illinois  Watch 
Factory,  Bettie  Stuart  In- 
stitute, Plow  Factory, 
laundries,  Coat  Factory, 
and  more  than  a  score  of 
other  places,  has  proved 
herself  an  Angel  of  Mercy 
and  Hope,  and  helped 
lighten  the  burden  of  many 
a  working  girl  and  woman 
arid  won  her  way  into  their 
hearts. 

This  Christian  woman 
has  had  a  varied  experi- 
ence. She  has  worked  in 
all  walks  of  life,  and  be- 
cause of  these  facts  she  is 
able  to  meet  the  working 
girl  on  a  level,  and  help 
her  to  a  better,  purer, 
higher  plane  of  living. 

In  the  interest  of  young 
women,  Mrs.  Muirhead  is 
a  tireless  worker,  and  ev- 
ery community  that  she 
visits  cannot  help  but  reap 
the  fruits  of  her  labors, 
and  where  there  is  no  or- 
ganization for  the  better- 
ment of  womanhood,  she 
is  foremost  in  promoting 
interest  to  this  end. 

In   Spokane   the   Y.   W. 
C.   A.   was   started   through 
her  instrumentality  and  the 
efforts    of   this    great    cam- 
paign there.     They  have  raised  nearly  $5,000  for  this  purpose, 
and  we  can  truly  say  that  the  seed  was  sown  and  the  project 
launched  by  her  efforts. 

Mrs.  Muirhead  is  a  remarkable  woman  in  many  respects.  She 
is  a  fluent  talker  and  by  many  is  considered  equally  as  inter- 
esting as  Billy  Sunday  himself.  She  is  intensely  in  earnest. 
She  "got  religion"  after  a  hard  struggle.  Her  life  history  is  a 
thrilling  one,  filled  with  joy  and  sorrow,  but  perhaps  much 
more  of  the  latter.  From  a  home  of  affluence,  wealth  and  so- 
cial position  she  married  against  her  parents'  wishes,  her  hus- 
band proving  to  be  addicted  to  strong  drink  shortly  after  their 
marriage  and  she  left  him  two  months  before  the  birth  of  her 
child.  She  determined  to  go  back  home  after  the  baby  was 
born  but  was  met  with  "chilliness"  on  the  part  of  the  maid  at 
the  door  and  was  not  received  with  open  arms  by  her  mother. 
In  telling  her  life  story  she  says  she  was  always  of  a  most  in- 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  11 


dependent  nature,  inheriting  this  quality  from  her  mother  and 
when  they  met  that  day  it  was  "six  and  six"  and  as  the  result 
she  dramatically  puts  it  "I  turned  and  said :  'Mother,  look  at 
me.  You  will  never  see  me  again  alive  or  dead,'  and  turning  I 
went  down  the  stone  steps  and  out  into  the  world.  I  had  brains 
and  two  hands  and  determined  to  work  for  my  child."  Mrs. 
Muirhead  went  on  to  say  that  the  little  one  died  just  at  that 
interesting  period  when  the  child  begins  to  toddle  about  and 
prattle.  Bitter  against  God  for  his  cruelty  for  robbing  her  of 
husband  through  sin  and  of  the  little  child,  she  refused  admit- 
tance to  a  minister  and  the  little  casket  was  lowered  into  the 
earth  without  a  song  or  a  prayer.  Later  she  was  converted. 
That  was  seven  years  ago.  Mrs.  Muirhead  stated  she  had  met 
temptation  in  every  form  and  knows  that  a  girl  can  earn  her 
own  living  and  go  through  this  world  without  losing  her  virtue. 

In  reporting  Mrs.  Muirhead's  speech  Sunday  afternoon  the 
Springfield  Journal  said : 

"Girls,  listen  to  me.  When  your  father  or  mother  tells  you 
not  to  do  anything  don't  you  do  it.  You  may  think  you  know 
it  all,  but  you  will  find  out  to  your  woe  that  you  do  not. 

"Whatever  you  do,  never  marry  a  man  who  has  the  slightest 
inclination  to  drink.  If  you  do  he  will  break  your  heart  and 
you  will  lie  awake  nights  as  I  have  done  and  hunt  for  a  dry 
spot  on  your  pillow." 

Then  in  a  relentless  fashion  the  speaker  told  how  she  had 
left  college,  a  headstrong,  brilliant  girl,  but  against  the  wishes 
and  entreaties  of  her  parents  had  married  the  man  of  her  choice. 
The  misery  of  her  married  life,  how  the  husband  drank  and 
was  untrue  to  her  was  recited  without  a  tremor.  Even  .when 
she  mentioned  her  baby's  death,  how  she  buried  her  little  girl 
without  a  Bible  or  preacher,  for  the  speaker  declared  she  was 
an  infidel  at  the  time,  even  when  this  most  trying  point  of  her 
life  was  mentioned.  Mrs.  Muirhead  did  not  waver,  but  went 
straight  to  the  close. 

She  related  how  she  had  hardened  her  heart  against  God, 
cursed  His  name  and  had  gone  into  the  world  not  caring 
whether  she  lived  or  died.  "It  was  then  He  found  me,"  the 
woman  spoke  on  with  a  new  note  in  her  voice,  "when  I  was 
weary,  heart-broken  and  going  straight  to  hell.  He  .spoke  to 
me  and  when  I  heard  the  tender  voice  and  looked  into  the  com- 
passionate face  of  my  Christ  I  knew  I  had  a  Friend  who  cared. 

"Do  you  know  why  He  heard  me  after  all  my  cursing  of 
His  dear  name?  It  was  because  for  seven  long  years  a  mis- 
sionary prayed  for  me.  Seven  years  she  prayed  and  I  grew  to 
hate  her.  I  left  New  York  because  I  could  not  stand  it.  I 
would  go  into  a  theater,  but  would  get  no  rest  and  did  get  no 
rest  until  I  gave  my  heart  to  God." 


It  doesn't  pay  for  the  young  man,  young  woman,  old  man 
or  old  woman  to  juggle  with  his  or  her  conscience. 

There  is  a  close  relationship  between  morality  and  health. 

You  may  evade  the  laws  of  the  land  for  awhile,  but  it  will 
catch  you.     So  with  the  laws  laid  down  by  God. 


12 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Exclude  from  the  world  all  sin  and  I  tell  you,  the  decrease 
in  the  amount  of  sickness  and  affliction  will  dumbfound  you. 


H 


h 


Every  sin  has  a  physical  consequence. 

A  man  is  a  fool  to  defy  God's  will. 

You  say,  "Look  here,  can't  I  dance  with  my  own  wife?'' 
Dance  with  who?  You  old  lobster,  you  would  just  as  soon  go 
out  and  husk  corn  all  night  with  the  lantern  hanging  on  the 
endgate  as  dance  with  your  own  wife;  it's  some  other  fellow's 
wife  you  want  to  dance  with. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


13 


H.  Sutbr 


ONE  of  the  most  at- 
tractive features  in 
the  tabernacle  ser- 
vices is.  the  singing  of  Mr. 
Charles  Butler.  It  seems  to 
fit  in  at  the  right  time  and 
place.  After  the  big  chorus 
under  Conductor  Fischer 
has  sung  the  great  audience 
into  sympathy  with  the  re- 
vival spirit,  the  announce- 
ments disposed  of,  and 
decks  cleared  for  the 
.evangelist's  message,  "Char- 
ley" Butler  springs  on  the 
platform,  steps  to  the  left 
.of  the-  pulpit;  tall,-  erect, 
straight  as  an  .arrow,  and 
perfectly  still,  his  hands 
usually  crossed  behind  him, 
the  sheen  of  the  electric 
light  accentuating  his  at- 
tractive personality,  and 
captures  his  audience  before 
singing  a  note.  It  is  all  so 
simple  and  unaffected  that 
you.  can't  separate  the 
singer  from  his  song.  And 
so  well  does  this  favorite 
soloist  rest  the  audience  and 
introduce  the  evangelist, 
that  it  all  suggests  the  con- 
summate art  with  which 
Mr.  Sunday  plans  the  win- 
ning of  souls. 

In  the  judgment  of  those 
competent  to  make  the  com- 
parisons, Mr.  Butler  is  un- 
surpassed as  a  solois.t  in  the 
evangelistic  field.  His  voice 
is  a  rich  baritone  with  a 
register  of  two  octaves, 

from  G  to  G  sharp.  He  subordinates  the  fads  and  tricks  of  his 
art  to  perfect  articulation.  He  seeks  not  so  much  impressions 
as  results.  He  is  a  conspicuous  example  of  the  limitless  possi- 
bilities of  high  class  solo  work  in  revival  meetings.  He  has  no 
gestures,  but  the  full,  round  tones,  and  almost  faultless  em- 
phasis of  his  marvelously  flexible  and  well  trained  voice,  and 
kindling  eyes,  express  what  all  feel  to  be  the  message  of  his 
heart.  For  Mr.  Butler  is  not  only  Mr.  Sunday's  soloist,  but  one 
of  his  most  aggressive  workers.  When  the  invitation  is  given 
he  leaps  into  the  crowd  where  his  modest,  gentlemanly  bearing 
and  lovable  personality  are  used  in  utter  self-abandon  in  the  win- 
ning of  souls. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Sunday  had  been  searching  for  a  solo- 
ist who  measured  up  to  his  requirements.  Charles  Butler  is  an 
exemplar  of  the  high  ideals  of  the  famous  evangelist.  His  rep- 
ertoire is  varied  enough  to  suit  the  themes  and  to  stand  the 
strain  of  a  six  weeks'  campaign.  Frequent  requests  are  made 
for  many  of  the  songs  which  Mr.  Butler  has  made  famous  by  his 


14 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


peculiar  interpretation.  "Shadows/'  "Is  He  Yours?"  "He  Lifted 
Me,"  and  "The  Sparrow  Song"  are  among  the  favorites  of  the 
public,  and  which  Mr.  Butler  loves  best  to  sing. 

"Charley"  Butler,  as  he  is  affectionately  named  by  his  friends, 
was  born  in  the  Southland,  in  Camilla,  Georgia,  December  30, 
1879,  on  a  farm.  His  father  was  a  merchant  and  banker  in  that 
town.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  southern  Illinois,  her  father 
being  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  clergyman.  Mr.  Butler  attended 
college  in  M'acon,  Ga.,  learned  the  trade  of  an  iron  moulder,  be- 
came a  foreman  in  the  shop  where  he  learned  his  craft,  and  has 
a  singular  passion  to  reach  with  his  voice  the  man  who  toils. 

He  was  converted  in  February,  1902,  through  Evangelist 
R.  V.  Miller  at  Macon,  and  convinced  he  was  called  to  sing  the 
gospel,  Mr.  Butler  took  a  special  course  in  literature,  history  and 
the  classics,  then  studied  voice  culture  under  Arthur  J.  Hub- 
bard,  one  of  the  most  noted  teachers  in  Boston.  While  singing 
at  a  religious  conference  at  Northfield,  Mass.,  in  1905,  he  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  Charles  M.  Alexander,  which  resulted  in 
Mr.  Butler's  engagement  by  Dr.  Torrey  during  the  world  fa- 
mous tour  of  Canada  and  the  United  States. 

"The  Man  with  the  Orange  Blossoms  in  his  Voice,"  as  Mr. 
Alexander  felicitously  spoke  of  him  in  a  souvenir  book  published 
after  the  Cleveland  meetings,  joined  Mr.  Sunday  in  1907,  and 
has  been  with  him  in  all  his  great  meetings  since,  with  the  single 
exception  of  Bloomington,  when  he  was  obliged  to  rest. 

ifcsL  (fUprta  Intorfomilt  lutbr 

THE  latest  enrich- 
ment to  the  al- 
ready strong  de- 
partment of  music  in  the 
Sunday  party  is  the 
charming  bride  of  Mr. 
Butler.  Rarely  do  two 
such  apparently  com- 
patible persons  agree  to 
walk  together,  or  Cupid 
arrange  a  more  roman- 
tic alliance. 

It  would  be  superflu- 
ous to  speak  of  Mrs. 
Butler,  and  her  accom- 
plishments in  this  place, 
were  it  not  that  this 
souvenir  .  will  be  so 
widely  distributed  out- 
"  side  the  city  of  Spring- 
field. There  are  many, 
however,  who  will  be  in- 
terested in  the  following 
items  who  do  not  live  in 
Illinois.  Mrs.  Butler 
was  born  in  Springfield 
twenty  years  ago.  She 
is  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  of  this  capital  city, 
class  of  '07.  Her  father, 
Superintendent  Ander- 
son, was  superintendent 
of  the  city  schools  for 
several  years.  Mr.  Anderson  is  now  superintendent  of  the  Mer- 
chants' Delivery  Transfer  Company.  Possessing  a  voice  of  rare 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


15 


quality,  Miss  Anderson  was  anxious  to  acquire  the  best  obtain- 
able musical  training.  For  a  while  she  .enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
attending  the  Rogers  Park  Conservatory  and  took  voice  culture 
under  the  famous  Madame  Johanna  Hess  Burr,  in  Chicago  ; 
afterwards  taking  a  course  in  Liberal  Arts  under  the  tutelage  of 
Madame  C.  E.  Elliott,  in  the  same  city. 

Miss  Edith  Anderson,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Butler,  has  a  most 
attractive  personality.  The  grace,  ease  and  artless  simplicity 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  this  lady  in  private  or  in  public,  her 
superb  poise  and  stature,  her  large,  luminous  gray  eyes  and 
blonde  complexion,  all  combine  to  pre-dispose  an  audience  in  her 
favor.  But  it  is  the  proof,  attested  by  Mrs.  Butler's  presence  at 
the  tabernacle,  that  these  gifts  and  graces  are  now  consecrated  to 
the  service  of  religion  that  has,  and  will  continue  to,  increase 
the  affection  of  the  public  for  the  handsome  and  accomplished 
bride  of  "Charley"  Butler. 


Arklwj 


THIS  gentleman  lives 
up  to  his  middle 
name,  suggestive  of 
great  things  in  wireless 
telegraphy  —  for  he  can  do 
things  as  remarkable  as 
sending  messages  through 
space.  He  operates  the 
typewriter  faster  than  most 
speakers  talk  ;  writes  short- 
hand like  a  jackrabbit  runs; 
composes  almost  classical 
music  for  gospel  songs  as 
rapidly  as  anybody  wants 
them  ;  writes  letters  for 
Mr.  Sunday  to  sign  that 
read  exactly  like  Sunday 
himself  writes  ;  succeeds  at 
the  fine  diplomacy  neces- 
sary in  conducting  the  cor- 
respondence of  William  A. 
Sunday,  a  correspondence 
which  is  among  the  most 
interesting  things  in  the 
world  ;  and  does  all  the 
piano  accompaniment  work 
in  the  tabernacle  for 
Fischer,  Butler,  chorus 
choir  and  local  soloists,  of- 
ten carrying  on  a  conver- 
sation with  reporters  or 
other  workers  at  the  same 
time.  His  position  on  the 
staff  of  Mr.  Sunday  makes 
that  of  private  secretary  to 
Theodore  Roosevelt  seem 
a  sinecure  ;  and  he  is  al- 
ways ready,  with  the  great- 
est cheerfulness,  to  do  a 
lot  more  work  for  news- 
paper men  and  others  hav- 
ing a  real  right  to  his 

assistance.     Such  a  man  as  Ackley  is  an  absolute  necessity  to 
Mr.  Sunday  to  relieve  the  latter  of  a  burden  of  work  important 


16  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


to  others,  but  routine  to  the  evangelist — otherwise  Mr.  Sunday 
would  have  no  time  to  preach,  for  his  mail  equals  that  of  a 
member  of  a  president's  cabinet  and  is  as  varied  as  that  of 
Andrew  Carnegie. 

Ackley's  parents  were  both  school  teachers,  and  the  father 
avoided  idleness  by  in  addition  teaching  singing  school  and  lead- 
ing a  brass  band  in  Pennsylvania.  B.  D.  Ackley  was  born  in 
Bradford  county  in  1872.  At  the  age  of  eight  the  youngster  was 
playing  a  horn  about  as  big  as  himself  in  the  band,  and  two 
years  later  was  assisting  his  father  in  musical  conventions.  The 
son  kept  busy  also  by  working  on  a  farm  until  he  was  seven- 
teen, when  he  moved  to  Philadelphia  and  later  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  lived  until  1903,  when  he  went  back  to  Phila- 
delphia. He  was  a  stenographer  for  railroad  officers  and  for 
business  men  and  was  also  a  church  organist  in  both  New 
York  and  Philadelphia.  In  1905  he  was  converted  and  began 
evangelistic  work  in  the  Northwest,  later  joining  Mr.  Sunday 
at  Bloomington  during  the  last  week  of  1907. 

Not  forgetting  that  Ackley  does  the  work  of  a  whole  team 
as  secretary  to  Mr.  Sunday,  it  still  may  be  said  that  his  most 
important  work  is  musical.  Ninety  per  cent  of  the  best  mu- 
sicians are  poor  accompanists,  and  good  accompanists  are  as 
rare  as  grand  opera  stars.  Ackley  is  a  good  accompanist  — so 
good  that  he  has  no  superior  for  both  chorus  and  solo  accom- 
panying. But  even  above  this  is  his  ability  to  write  religious 
music.  His  "Sunshine  Song"  and  "I'm  Going  All  the  Way  with 
Jesus,"  are  probably  the  most  popular,  unless  they  are  sur- 
passed by  "Somebody  Knows,"  which  is  always  sung  with  suc- 
cess at  each  series  of  meetings  and  is  always  whistled  by  the 
boys  of  the  street — it  was  his  first  success  in  that  line  and  was 
written  at  Sharon,  Pa.,  in  June,  1908. 

Ackley's  song  compositions  entirely  lack  the  wishy-washy,  in- 
fantile quality  which  has  caused  so  much  adverse  criticism  of 
the  usual  Sunday  school  and  evangelistic  music.  It  is  real  mu- 
sic he  writes — and  every  composition  is  not  only  classical  in 
form,  but  very  expressive  of  the  ideas  in  the  words. 

Mr.  Ackley  is  accompanied  by  his  wife  a  part  of  the  time. 
She  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  work. 


You  may  hide  a  sin  from  others,  but  you  cannot  hide  it  from 
yourself  and  God. 

My  voice  is  my  bread  and  butter,  but  I  never  worry  over 
the  time  when  it  will  fail  me,  should  I  be  unable  to  withstand 
the  strain. 

I  will  not  stand  by  and  let  a  woman  travel  over  the  country 
with  a  costume  like  a  fly-net  doing  the  Salome  dance  without 
raising  my  voice  in  protest. 

All  sinners  are  slaves !  And  what  a  brutal  master  the  devil  is ! 

If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  have  made  a  flat  failure  of 
your  whole  life. 

You  cannot  teach  an  old  dog  new  tricks,  but  you  can  a  pup. 
The  time  to  give  your  heart  to  God  is  now. 

Don't  let  anybody  fool  you  by  saying  that  you  are  too  young 
to  become  a  Christian. 

No  man  or  woman,  I  don't  care  what  he  or  she  tries  of 
his  or  her  own  power  to  do,  can  escape  from  the  effects  of  sin. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


17 


3Fntnr?H 


TRUE  today  as  it  ever 
has  been,  the  title, 
"church  member," 
or  "Christian,"  are  not  syn- 
onymous with  "soul  win- 
ning." Miss  Miller,  with 
Bible  in  hand,  finger  on 
chapter  and  verse,  per- 
suades you — yes,  convinces 
you  they  should  be — that 
they  are.  To  make  "soul 
winners"  out  of  church 
members  is  her  business 
with  Mr.  Sunday's  party, 
and  she  does  it.  Skilled 
herself  through  years  of 
study  and  practice,  she 
stands  before  her  class  of 
hundreds,  each  afternoon 
at  the  close  of  Mr.  Sun- 
day's sermon  and  schools 
them  to  meet  the  excuses 
and  questions  of  the  sin- 
ner, not  as  the  quack  with 
the  patent  cure  all,  but  as 
the  trained  physician  who 
diagnoses,  then  prescribes. 
With  clear,  logical  reason- 
ings, deduced  from  Scrip- 
ture, carried  by  a  clear,  far- 
reaching  voice,  she  in- 
structs how  to  diagnose  the 
sinner's  heart  and  apply 
the  specific  Scripture  rem- 
edy with  chapter  and  verse. 

Miss  Miller  herself  was 
not  always  a  soul-winning 
church  member.  For  five 
years  she  was  not.  A 
church  member,  simply,  she 
thinks,  because  she  was 
asked  to  be.  Reared  in  a 

Christian  home,  honest  at  heart,  she  was  ready.  When  Billy 
Sunday,  about  sixteen  years  ago,  broke  the  truth  to  her  in  a 
sermon  on  "Personal  Work,"  she  surrendered  to  it.  Mr.  Alex- 
ander led  her  into  Bible  study  and  Grace  Saxe  made  her  want 
to  do  Bible  work. 

She  was  born  in  Minnesota,  grew  up  in  North  Dakota,  lived 
in  Illinois,  was  educated  in  the  high  school  at  Waterloo,  Iowa, 
and  college  at  Fargo,  N.  D.,  and  afterwards  taking  a  two  years' 
course  and  finals  in  the  'Bible  Institute  in  Chicago. 

She  spent  a  summer  with  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Alexander, 
organizing  Bible  classes,  etc.,  one  of  which  at  Vinion,  la.,  still 
continues,  and  that  is  over  ten  years  ago.  Her  first  year  out 
of  college  she  had  charge  of  two  Congregational  churches  near 
Valley  City,  N.  D.,  and  later  was  ordained  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church. 

Besides  "personal  work"  classes  she  teaches  systematic  Bible 
study  classes,  special  prayer  meetings  in  Y.M.C.A.,  laundries, 


18 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


shops,  high  schools,  etc.,  at  times  and  places  convenient  for  the 
many  who  cannot  attend  the  regular  services.  Morning  and 
afternoon  she  does  it,  conducting  four  or  more  meetings  a  day 
and  plunges  into  the  vast  tabernacle  in  the  evening  hunting  for 
someone  to  lead  to  her  Christ. 

Her  Bible  is  pre-eminently  a  part  of  a  great  revival  cam- 
paign in  supplementing  the  preaching  by  preparing  intelligent 
workers  and  grounding  converts  in  the  Scriptures.  Thus  two 
of  the  weakest  spots,  two  chief  causes  of  failure  in  modern 
revival  work,  are  cared  for. 


THE  genial  counte- 
nance of  Fred 
Seibert,  the  cus- 
todian of  the  taber- 
nacle, will  never  be  for- 
gotten by  those  who 
attended  the  meetings. 
He  wears  "the  smile 
that  won't  come  off," 
and  it  is  the  real  thing. 
Fred  is  known  as 
"The  Soul  Winner," 
"Broncho  Buster,"  "Per- 
sonal Worker"  and  nu- 
merous other  titles.  He 
has  the  characteristic 
peculiar  to  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Sunday  party, 
terribly  in  earnest  and 
no  limit  to  energy.  It 
is  said  more  than  7,000 
souls  have  been  touched 
and  won  to  Christ  by 
his  personal  work. 

During  Mr.  Sunday's 
sermons  Fred  is  usually 
sitting  in  the  choir, 
looking  over  the  audi- 
ence, on  the  alert  for 
someone  who"  would 
come  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  meetings, 

Soul  Winner  and   at  the  close  of  the 

sermon,  and  almost  before  the  invitation  could  be  given,  Fred 
would  be  down  in  the  aisle  hustling  among  the  people,  climbing 
over  the  seats,  if  necessary  to  get  to  some  needy  one.  It  is 
only  necessary  to  talk  a  few  moments  to  him  for  one  to  be 
convinced  of  his  sincerity  and  effectiveness  in  his  personal  work. 
Fred  tells  a  unique  story  of  his  conversion.  He  says :  "Fif- 
teen fears  ago  at  Springdale,  after  fixing  up  a  crooked  horse 
race  for  a  buck  Indian,  and  painting  white  feet  and  a  star  on 
the  horse's  face  in  order  that  he  might  be  entered  after  being 
barred,  the  race  was  easily  won. 

"Soon  after  this  I  was  taken  sick,  and  I  prayed  about  like 
this,  'Lord,  I  don't  know  much  of  anything  about  this  religion, 
but  if  you  will  give  me  strength  to  get  home,  I  will  give  my 
life  for  your  service.'  Well,  I  soon  forgot  this  promise,  and 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


19 


for  three  years  I  hated  to  hear  a  church  bell  ring.  Finally,  one 
night  while  losing  heavily  at  poker  I  went  out  to  buy  a  cigar 
and  tried  to  change  my  luck.  I  went  past  a  church,  heard  the 
singing,  and  stepped  inside.  It  seemed  as  though  the  minister 
was  preaching  directly  to  me.  In  twenty  minutes  I  said  to  my- 
self, 'Old  man,  you  need  not  go  any  further,  I  am  going  up 
front/  So  when  he  gave  the  invitation,  I  went  up  front.  On 
the  way  up  the  aisle,  I  saw  my  brother  Ed,  and  hollered  at 
him,  'Come  on,  Ed.'  'Where  are  you  going?'  he  said.  'Up  to 
give  myself  to  God,'  I  answered.  'Here,'  said  Ed,  reaching  out 
and  grabbing  me,  'don't  you  go  and  make  a  fool  of  yourself. 
God  cannot  do  anything  with  a  worthless  cuss  like  you.'  But  I 
got  him,  praise  God ;  I  got  him  even  before  I  got  myself.  I 
started  in  with  my  personal  work  right  then,  and  praise  the 
Lord,  I've  been  hitting  the  grit  ever  since." 

During   the    Springfield    meetings,    Mrs.    Seibert    visited    her 
husband.     She  is  also  an  earnest  "personal  worker." 


ilt00  Atmt? 


NATIVE  of  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland, 
who  started  in 
religious  work  in  1903, 
through  the  influence  of 
Charles  M.  Alexander, 
who  was  much  pleased 
with  her  ability  as  a 
gospel  singer,  having 
heard  her  during  his 
tour  around  the  world 
with  Dr.  Torrey.  At  his 
urgent  solicitation,  she 
spent  a  year  and  a  half 
at  the  Moody  Institute 
in  Chicago,  and  then 
went  back  home  and 
traveled  through  Scot- 
land with  different  evan- 
gelists. Then  she  came 
back  again  to  this  coun- 
try and  became  state 
evangelistic  singer  for 
the  state  of  Iowa,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Con- 
gregational church.  She 
remained  in  that  posi- 
tion for  nine  months, 
and  resigned  to  go  to 
Scranton,  Pa.,  and  take 
charge  of  the  social  set- 
tlement work  under  the 
Second  Presbyterian 
church  of  that  city.  Later  she  again  went  to  Scotland  and  did 
evangelistic  singing,  came  back  in  January  of  this  year,  had  one 
engagement  in  Toronto,  Ont.,  and  joined  Mr.  Sunday  at  Spring- 
field, in  which  city  she  has  done  very  creditable  work  among 
the  students,  and  in  Bible  teaching. 


20 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Albert 


(gill 


WAS    born    of    Chris- 
tian     parents      in 
Waukesha,     Wis., 
September     10,     1854,     and 
was    "born    again"    October 
25,  1894,  at  Lawrence,  Kan., 
in  a  meeting  conducted  by 
Charles  Crittenden,  of  New 
York. 

He  is  the  first  of  the 
"Sunday  Party"  to  arrive 
on  the  scene  of  a  pros- 
pective revival  campaign. 
As  soon  as  he  enters  a  town 
he  puts  the  local  forces  in- 
to action.  He  organizes  all 
necessary  committees,  de- 
signs and  superintends  the 
erection  of  the  tabernacle, 
answers  thousands  of  ques- 
tions that  present  them- 
selves, and  in  an  incredibly 
short  time,  "Every  clod 
feels  a  stir  of  might." 

He  goes  at  his  work  in 
a  winning  way,  meets  men 
on  their  level,  is  a  genial 
good-hearted  fellow,  makes 
strong  and  lasting  friends 
for  the  cause ;  advises  with 
the  several  committees, 
makes  addresses,  and  puts 
ginger  and  backbone  into 
everybody  connected  with 
the  movement. 

Before  the  tabernacle  is 
completed  the  pastors  love 
him,  the  carpenters  love 
him,  the  committees  admire 

him,       everybody       is       on  ^^^^^^^"^^^^^^•"1^^^^™B 

speaking    terms    with    him, 
yes,   everybody  knows   Gill. 

He  is  the  forerunner,  the  "John  the  Baptist,"  the  first  inspira- 
tion, the  all-round  booster,  the  fit-in-everywhere,  the  foundation 
layer  for  the  party. 

Mr.  Gill  has  a  true  helpmate  in  his  wife,  who  accompanies 
him  from  place  to  place,  when  health  permits,  and  who  is  al- 
ways ready  with  words  of  sympathy  and  encouragement. 


If  the  whiskey  gang  is  for  a  man  then  I'm  against  him.  On 
the  booze  question  I'm  not  a  partisan.  I'm  against  the  dirty 
business. 


Who  supports  the  jails  and    madhouses  which  the    whiskey 
business  fills?     The  taxpayers. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  21 


.  3.  C&btw  Jfawk 

MR.  FRANK  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  youngest 
lyceum  lecturer  in  the  United  States.  He  joined  Mr. 
Sunday  at  Springfield  less  than  ten  days  before  the 
close  of  the  meetings,  and  has  proven  himself  fully  equal  to 
the  occasion.  The  overflow  meetings  are  handled  by  him  with 
skill  and  tact.  He  is  a  most  brilliant  and  attractive  speaker 
with  a  marked  personality;  by  no  means  an  imitator. 

He  was  born  in  Schuyler  county,  Missouri,  and  his  mother 
is  a  cousin  of  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  his  father  belonging  to 
an  old  American  family  which  migrated  from  Virginia  to  Ken- 
tucky and  later  to  Missouri  as  did  so  many  of  the  descendants 
of  the  Old  Dominion  colonists.  Not  altogether  from  necessity, 
but  partly  because  of  an  independent  spirit,  little  Glenn  Frank 
struck  out  for  himself  when  only  a  baker's  dozen  years  old, 
worked  on  a  farm  summers  and  went  to  school  winters. 

When  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  he  was  called  away  from 
home  to  preach  a  series  of  revival  sermons.  After  working  his 
way  through  a  college  or  two  he  became  a  young  man  of  su- 
perior refinement,  fine  culture,  remarkable  learning  and  extraor- 
dinary eloquence. 

He  is  only  twenty-one  years  old,  but  is  already  a  chautauqua 
manager  and  lecturer  with  contracts  covering  all  next  summer, 
based  upon  great  success  during  the  last  year  or  two  in  that 
line.  His  life  history  is  so  extraordinary  as  to  have  special 
interest. 

Only  a  trifle  over  twenty-one  years  old,  Mr.  Frank  has  the 
maturity  of  mind  of  a  man  of  forty.  He  has  a  vocabulary  al- 
most as  large  as  Sunday  himself;  the  range  of  subjects  upon 
which  he  is  accurately  informed  is  extremely  wide.  He  is  a 
good  deal  of  a  poet  in  his  mental  makeup  which  gives  him  great 
polish  of  diction  and  refinement  of  manner.  He  will  accom- 
pany Mr.  Sunday  to  Marshalltown  for  the  meetings  to  be  held 
there  at  the  close  of  the  Springfield  campaign.  Whether  he  will 
postpone  his  graduation  from  Northwestern  University  in  order 
to  be  an  assistant  of  Mr.  Sunday  during  next  year  is  a  matter 
which  they  are  discussing  now. 


Ill  mum  Drnrnrralr  OSnmhlm; 

They  are  just  as  much  degenerate  blackleg  gamblers  as  the 
gambling  hell.  They  ought  to  be  put  in  the  calaboose  with  the 
rest  of  the  gamblers. 

You  have  no  right  to  find  fault  with  the  city  officials  when 
they  don't  suppress  gambling,  when  a  thing  so  near  akin  to  it 
is  carried  on  right  in  your  own  home.  I  believe  that  society  as 
it  is  constituted  today  is  doing  more  to  damn  the  spiritual  life 
of  the  church  than  the  grog  shops.  You  can't  accuse  me  of 
being  a  friend  to  that  stinking,  dirty,  rotten  hell-soaked  business. 


fott.  (SUtftfltt 


DURING  the  unprec- 
edented revival 
meetings  of  1908, 
the  Reverend  C.  P.  Pledger 
was  the  trusted  and  almost 
indispensable  assistant  of 
the  Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday. 
His  rare  executive  skill, 
winsome  personality  and 
courtly  bearing  were  inval- 
uable assets  in  meeting 
committees  and  deputa- 
tions, and  in  attending  to 
the  countless  varieties  of 
details  and  arrangements 
incident  to  each  day  while 
the  meetings  were  in  pro- 
gress. Besides  "oiling  the 
machinery"  of  the  organ- 
ized forces,  and  warding 
off  needless  intrusion  upon 
the  time  and  strength  of 
Mr.  Sunday,  Mr.  Pledger 
held  meetings  in  all  kinds 
of  places,  and  for  all  kinds 
of  people.  It  is  a  rare  oc- 
currence for  so  young  a 
man  to  become  so  widely 
known  and  so  well  loved, 
in  so  short  a  time  and  by 
so  many  people. 

Clifton  Pryor  Pledger 
was  born  at  Tupelo,  Miss., 
in  1875.  He  was  converted 
when  eighteen  years  old  at 
Henrietta,  Texas.  Con- 
vinced that  he  was  called 
to  be  an  evangelist,  he  at- 
tended the  Moody  Bible  In- 
stitute, graduated  from 
Northwestern  University, 

and  then  took  a  special  course  in  Harvard  University.  During 
all  these  struggling  years  he  earned  his  own  way,  supported  his 
parents  and  younger  brothers  and  won  success  in  various  and 
difficult  pastorates  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  of  which  body  he  was 
a  member.  His  heart  was  filled  with  joy  when  the  invitation  to 
become  assistant  to  the  Rev.  William  A.  Sunday  was  received. 
In  January,  1908,  this  self-made,  chivalrous,  scholarly,  ambitious 
and  versatile  young  man  became  one  of  the  famous  "Sunday 
Party"  at  Bloomington,  111. 

During  the  summer  months  when  he  should  have  rested,  and 
.on  Mondays,  when  the  big  meetings  were  in  progress  and  all 
were  supposed  to  rest,  Mr.  Pledger  wore  down  his  fine  body  to 
the  danger  point.  At  Latham,  Monticello,  Tallula,  Argenta  and 
other  places  hundreds  were  converted  ;  for,  like  his  master,  he 
spoke  as  one  having  authority  and  he  was  in  great  demand. 

Then  came  the  summons,  at  the  age  of  his  Master,  in  far 
away  Spokane,  February  n,  1909.  His  last  words  were:  "Go 
on  with  the  work"  Mr.  Sunday  says  of  him,  "He  never  made 
a  mistake." 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


23 


Ifarnj 


THIS  gentleman,  well 
remembered  by  the 
Springfield  a  u  d  i- 
ences,  has  followed  Mr. 
Sunday's  big  meetings  for 
years,  and  is  regarded  by 
him  as  "one  of  America's 
greatest  Rescue  Mission 
Workers.''  In  his  sweet 
singing  lies  one  of  his  great 
powers  with  the  fallen. 

Of  his  conversion,  Mr. 
Monroe  says  :  "For  years  I 
lived  in  the  realm  of  the 
gambler,  prize  fighter,  poli- 
tician, booze  fighter  and  all- 
around  sport.  On  February 
6,  1880,  I  woke  up  to  find  I 
was  all  in.  Booze  and  the 
attendant  condition  and  go- 
ing the  pace  that  kills,  set 
me  to  thinking.  That  night 
I  happened  to  pass  by  the 
Pacific  Garden  Mission — 
the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to 
me — and  had  a  little  talk 
with  Mrs.  Clarke.  I  re- 
turned the  following  night 
and  'dear  old  Colonel 
Clarke,  the  apostle  of  love 
and  mercy  to  the  lost  and 
sinful,'  took  me  by  the  hand 
and  said,  'Young  man, 
Jesus  loves  you  and  so  do 
I.'  That  put  me  out  of 
business.  I  was  all  broke 
up,  to  think  that  Jesus  did 
really  love  even  me  and 
with  the  old  colonel  by  my 
side  on  our  knees,  I  asked 
God  to  'have  mercy  on  me, 
a  sinner,'  and  I  know  that 
eventful  night  Jesus  saved 


Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday  says :  "Harry  Monroe,  of  the  Pacific 
Garden  Mission,  Chicago,  has  probably  taken  more  criminals, 
more  drunkards,  more  'down-and-outers,'  more  thieves,  more 
'dead  game'  sports,  and  more  people  by  the  hand  and  helped 
them  to  Jesus  Christ  than  any  man  in  the  United  States.  Twenty 
years  ago,  corner  State  and  VanBuren  streets,  Chicago,  I  heard 
this  prince  of  mission  workers  tell  how  Jesus  saved  him,  and 
there  and  then  I  gave  up  all  for  Christ." 


Personal  liberty — -that  cracks  your  safe,  ruins  your  daugh- 
ter,— personal  liberty  is  all  the  anarchist  wants.  Personal  lib- 
erty murdered  Lincoln  and  Garfield.  I  stand  for  civil  liberty, 
every  time ! 


24  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


NOT  a  service  was  held  at  the  tabernacle  but  that  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  crowds  were  handled  called  forth  words 
of  commendation  from  those  whose  work  brought  them 
in  touch  with  throngs  of  people.  Not  in  the  history  of  the  city, 
probably,  have  daily  evening  throngs  of  from  8000  to  10,000  per- 
sons been  handled  so  quietly,  so  quickly  and  so  effectively  as  by 
the  corps  of  ushers  at  the  tabernacle.  The  success  was  due  to  the 
effective  organization  among  the  men  in  this  part  of  the  work. 
The  plan  was  worked  out  by  Chief  Usher  Spaulding  and  Archi- 
tect Gill,  together  with  the  few  advisers  who  held  meetings  prior 
to  the  opening  of  the  campaign.  Each  section  and  aisle  had  its 
captain  usher  and  he  looked  after  the  work  of  the  men  in  the 
section. 

The  men  doing  this  work  and  those  to  whom  credit  for  the 
manner  in  which  the  crowds  were  handled,  were  as  follows : 

Chief  usher,  Irving  Spaulding;  assistant  chief  ushers,  George 
W.  Wright  and  J.  D.  Edmond;  aisle  captains,  George  E.  Coe, 
Jacob  Appel,  William  Bradford,  W.  A.  Orr,  Nelson  Allyn,  F.  R. 
Gehlman,  E.  R.  Ulrich,  Jr.,  G.  B.  Thornberry,  John  Hoenig, 
H.  A.  Butler,  A.  G.  Murray,  Robert  Patton,  W.  R.  Bailley,  John 
Maldaner,  Robert  McClinchie,  Dr.  I.  H.  Taylor,  James  H.  Hood, 
Mr.  Kauffman.  Assistant  chief  usher  for  afternoon  services, 
W.  R.  Bailley. 

Ushers— G.  Wallace  Marshall,  W.  R.  Bailley,  Thomas  L. 
Jarrett,  Harmon  Brown,  George  Hemmenway,  Walter  S.  Satt- 
ley,  John  Graham,  Sam  Willett,  F.  W.  Rheinhart,  A.  H.  Rankin, 
Arthur  Poorman,  William  W.  Barrett,  O.  B.  Caldwell,  D.  J. 
Wright,  Frank  Hunt,  George  W.  Wright,  George  J.  Kable,  Lewis 
E.  Wood,  H.  N.  McVeigh,  Charles  Reid,  F.  R.  Fehlman,  Irby 
Shepherd,  George  Jack,  Joseph  B.  Ruckel,  H.  Y.  Pollock,  W.  B. 
Robinson,  F.  F.  Davis,  B.  F.  Sprinkle,  Edgar  Stevens,  Winfield 
Barber,  F.  F.  Thompson,  J.  J.  Foster,  J.  L.  Terry,  Robert  Terry, 
Sidney  Cargie,  F.  W.  Carter,  Wilson  Boysel,  J.  F.  Norveil, 
Thomas  H.  Green,  Devillia  F.  Hocker,  Louis  Coe,  George  L. 
Taylor,  M.  D.  Irwin,  C.  J.  Christopher,  Henry  labusch,  C.  P. 
Strickland,  Arthur  Haenig,  Chester  Vigo,  W.  E.  Sampson, 
Henry  Haynes,  Ralph  Stevens,  J.  H.  Byers,  Sherman  Black, 
A.  W.  Cantrall,  George  A.  Bickes,  John  Swezy,  G.  B.  Wade, 
H.  W.  Hart,  J.  Robert  McKinney,  Walter  Odell,  George  Brown- 
ell,  H.  T.  Allen,  S.  F.  Earl,  George  Owens,  J.  T.  Pennington, 
Ed  Cochran,  F.  J.  M.  Moor,  Clarence  Handley,  Joseph  W. 
Wright,  W.  D.  Fowkes,  J.  H.  McReynolds,  Ed  Dawson,  C.  W. 
Utt,  T.  H.  Troxell,  Sidney  Smith,  Frank  T.  Kuhl,  Lloyd  Davis, 
Elmer  Wright,  C.  H.  Jenkins,  Carl  Melin,  J.  L.  Fortado,  Joseph 
Meline,  S.  P.  Larson,  George  Fitzgerald,  William  Applett,  George 
Booth,  John  Ferreira,  Clinton  Early,  John  Fernandes,  Ira  Boyd, 

E.  J.  Card,  M.  V.  Chamberlain,  Leslie  Burch,  John  Green,  C.  E. 
Ford,  Mr.  Maxey,  C.  O.   Foster,  Amos  Phillips,  J.  Omer  Book- 
out,  A.  H.  Phillips,  Frank  Gould,  Galen  Richey,  C.  Smith,  J.  D. 
Huffman,  W.  R.  Thompson,  Frank  Knapp,  J.  A.  Coleman,  Rich- 
ard Lyon,  W.  P.  Jones,  Frank  McCord,  C.  H.  Carmeny,  George 

F.  Pettett,  Henry  Clanney,  W.  D.  Stacy,  Howard  Lowey,  W.  H. 
J.  Cribb,  James  Burns,  C.  E.  Bode,  E.  S.  Mann,  W.  B.  Hemlick, 
Joseph  Stotzenburg,  E.  L.  Chapin,  E.  E.  Staley,  W.  S.   Barber, 
J.  H.  Neher,  W.  E.  Riggins,  J  L.  Scott,  W.  E.  Coleman,  R.  W. 
Gough,  J.  C.  Skoog,  F.  S.  Springer,  J.  P.  Springer,  J.  M.  Appel, 
Edward  Anderson,  H.  C.   Streiff,    Dr.  A.   P.  Wakefield,   Passell 
Rottger,  H.  E.  Brittin,  Leslie  Burch,  F.  T.  Lister,  Edward  Mc- 
Cullough,  A.  H.  Davidson,  A.  E.  Hanes,  Dr.  R.  E.  McClelland, 
E.  C.  Pruitt,    J.  W.  Cain,  George    Mills,  O.  L.  Lingole,    E.  W. 


• 


(  7 


26  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Raines,  Warren  Lewis,  Elmer  Hamilton,  Frank  Halpin,  Bert 
Hallam,  U.  S.  G.  Hill,  Ray  E.  Simmons,  Harry  C.  Williams,  R. 
E.  Hambaugh,  W.  W.  Walker,  A.  W.  Hillier,  W.  C.  Grant, 
Walter  Cline,  Lance  Watson,  Claude  Owens,  F.  O.  Knapp,  W. 
H.  Hunt,  Samuel  Fabble,  R.  H.  Rogers,  J.  W.  Wright,  O.  B. 
Kaup,  H.  B.  Carley,  F.  J.  Moor,  Emery  Kalb,  Luther  Vigal, 
George  A.  Thompson,  Floyd  Campana,  Myron  Garber,  J.  R. 
Mitts,  W.  H.  Fenstermaker,  C.  A.  Meador,  Fred  Jordan,  H.  F. 
Clendennin,  D.  A.  Killin,  J.  S.  Lewis,  C.  C.  Rupp,  H.  N.  Offer, 
E.  W.  Sampson,  F.  W.  Gough,  R.  T.  Jefferson,  W.  E.  Ray, 
C.  J.  Vigal,  Ernest  Haywood,  L.  A.  Van  Daren,  Frank  Lindsey, 
C.  W.  Barker,  Max  Kaden,  Geo.  P.  Ayers,  G.  A.  Hulett,  Wil- 
liam Edmonds,  John  W.  Solomon,  H.  E.  Barker,  W.  P.  Fawkes, 
G.  Blauvelt,  Charles  Reisner,  Joe  Acton,  Chester  Vogal,  Fred 
Judson,  W.  S.  Crowder,  P.  H.  Howard,  C.  Hopper,  W.  C.  Down- 
ing, J.  W.  Mitchell,  G.  A.  Konetz,  J.  A.  Adkinson,  S.  Follis. 


attfc  3lt0  ©rgamzaium 


ON  December  2,  1907,  about  seventy  pastors  and  represent- 
ative laymen  carried  a  petition  to  Mayor  Roy  R.  Reece, 
urging  him  to  enforce  the  Sunday  closing  laws  and  ordi- 
nances. It  was  evident  on  all  sides  that  to  stem  the  awful  tide 
of  lawlessness  and  immorality  a  mighty  revival  of  religion  was 
needed. 

A  delegation  was  appointed  January  6,  1908,  to  visit  Mr.  Sun- 
day in  Bloomington  and  try  to  secure  his  services  for  a  cam- 
paign in  Springfield,  preceding  their  election.  The  delegation 
visited  him  but  could  not  secure  his  services  for  more  than  one 
day,  so  on  March  3  Mr.  Sunday  addressed  a  mass  meeting  in 
the  Armory,  where  it  is  said  12,000  people  heard  him  speak. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Ministerial  Association  on  March  16 
there  was  a  unanimous  motion  carried  to  again  invite  Mr.  Sun- 
day to  their  city  for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  series  of  meetings 
at  the  earliest  possible  date.  The  question  had  been  submitted 
to  the  various  congregations  and  on  April  20  the  following  in- 
vitation was  drafted  and  signed  by  all  the  churches  : 

"We,  the  undersigned  pastors  of  the  various  churches  of 
Springfield,  111.,  hereby  extend  to  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday  a  cor- 
dial invitation  to  hold  a  series  of  evangelistic  meetings  in  our 
city,  at  such  date  as  shall  be  mutually  agreed  upon,  pledging 
him  our  fullest  support  in  all  things  he  may  deem  necessary, 
and  in  this  invitation  we  bring  to  him  the  pledge  of  every  such 
church  here  represented.'' 

There  were  so  many  other  calls  for  Mr.  Sunday  that  it  was 
hard  to  convince  him  he  ought  to  come  to  Springfield.  The 
members  of  the  association  realized  that  if  they  secured  the 
coveted  leader  strenuous  efforts  must  be  put  forth. 

On  July  24  a  special  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at 
the  Central  Baptist  church,  and  on  August  31  another  meeting 
of  the  same  body  was  held  at  the  First  Congregational  church. 
At  this  meeting  the  signatures  of  business  men  to  the  petition 
were  added,  and  on  October  9  a  delegation  armed  with  authority 
went  to  Jacksonville,  and  finally  prevailed  on  Mr.  Sunday  to 
name  February  5,  1909,  as  the  date  for  beginning  a  meeting  in 
Springfield. 

Steps  were  then  taken  to  perfect  the  organization,  and  a 
capable  Christian  business  man,  Mr.  W.  A.  Pavey,  was  selected 
as  chairman  of  the  executive  committee.  On  Mr.  Payey's  re- 
quest two  men  from  each  of  the  churches  were  appointed  to 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


27 


J  .5 

at  -d 

d,  D 

<C  '- 

^<  rt 


O  -0 


28  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


work  with  the  pastors,  and  these  would  constitute  the  board  of 
management.  Accordingly  on  November  22  a  large  representa- 
tion met  at  the  First  Methodist  church,  and  organized  the 
Springfield  Evangelistic  Association  with  W.  A.  Pavey  as  chair- 
man, and  Guy  I.  Colby  as  secretary. 

Mr.  A.  P.  Gill,  the  "John  the  Baptist"  of  the  Sunday  party, 
arrived  January  20  to  erect  the  tabernacle.  It  was  decided  that 
the  building  should  be  erected  at  the  northwest  corner  of  First 
and  Adams  streets. 

The  association  issued  its  call  for  prayer  on  February  15,  and 
soon  130  prayer  meetings  daily  were  held  in  different  places  of 
the  city.  On  February  17  a  telegram  was  received  from  Mr. 
Sunday  stating  that  he  was  worn  out,  by  his  strenuous  labors, 
and  was  almost  sick  over  the  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Pledger,  his 
first  lieutenant,  and  would  not  be  able  to  begin  the  campaign  until 
the  26th. 

On  Friday,  February  26,  at  4:00  P.  M.  Mr.  Sunday,  his 
brother  Ed  and  son  George  arrived  in  the  city.  They  were 
greeted  at  the  depot  by  the  Ministerial  Association,  the  entertain- 
ment committee,  and  members  of  the  Evangelistic  Association. 

The  opening  service  was  held  the  same  evening  at  the  tab- 
ernacle, where  thousands  assembled  to  hear  the  first  gun  fired  in 
a  campaign  for  righteousness,  that  can  never  be  forgotten  by  the 
residents  of  Springfield. 


O 


NE  of  the  most  impressive  and  successful  days  in  the 
great  campaign  was  Mother's  Day,  as  suggested  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Sunday.  The  following  request  was  published : 
Every  person  is  requested  to  wear  a  white  flower 
or  ribbon  to-day  in  honor  of  mother.  If  your  mother 
is  alive  do  her  an  act  of  kindness.  Telegraph  or  -write 
to  her,  or  give  her  a  gift  to  express  your  love.  If 
mother  is  not  alive,  perform  an  act  of  kindness  to  some- 
body else's  mother.  The  services  at  the  tabernacle  will 
be  for  mothers,  although  everybody  is  invited.  Busi- 
ness men  are  invited  to  close  their  places  of  business 
from  two  to  four  o'clock,  or  at  least  to  let  as  many  em- 
ployees off  as  possible.  An  offering  will  be  taken  at  the 
tabernacle  to  be  given  to  the  Woman's  Club  to  be  dis- 
tributed to  the  charities  of  the  city  as  the  club  deems  best. 

W.  A.  SUNDAY. 

Every  citizen  of  Springfield  was  surprised  at  the  manner  in 
which  the  idea  was  taken  up  by  all  classes.  The  white  ribbon 
and  white  flower  were  worn  by  a  large  percentage  of  the  citizens. 

The  white  carnation  supply  was  soon  exhausted  as  this  was 
the  favorite.  Many  of  the  stores  and  shops  were  closed.  The 
Vredenburgh  Mills  closed  during  the  afternoon. 

"Mother"  was  the  theme  of  the  entire  day — the  noonday 
meeting  at  the  court  house,  prayer  meetings  in  the  morning,  the 
shop  meetings  at  noon,  the  great  afternoon  meeting  at  the  tab- 
ernacle— and  no  matter  which  way  one  might  turn  he  would  be 
reminded  that  on  this  day  he  should  honor  his  mother. 

Even  the  business  in  the  postoffice  increased  as  the  result  of 
the  many  letters  being  written  to  mothers,  on  the  suggestion 
of  Mr.  Sunday.  The  accompanying  illustration  will  give  one  a 
faint  idea  of  the  enthusiasm  and  zeal  in  which  the  9,000  people 
in  the  afternoon  meeting  at  the  tabernacle  raised  their  pure 
white  handkerchiefs  in  honor  of  the  day.  No  such  occasion  had 
ever  before  stirred  Springfield  to  this  extent. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  29 


laarhall 

THIS   day,   March  21,   surpassed  in   every  way  any  of  the 
meetings   thus    far  held   in   Springfield.     The  tabernacle 
was  packed  to  the  doors  with  men  in  the  afternoon  when 
Mr.  Sunday  delivered  his  sermon  on  "The  Devil's  Boomerang." 
Mr.  Sunday  told  most  interestingly  of  the  old  ball  team  of 
which  he  was  a  member  : 

I  used  to  play  ball.  I  played  center  and  left 
field  on  the  old  Chicago  White  Stockings.  I 
don't  believe  their  equal  was  ever  known  and  I 
am  sure  their  superior  never  was. 

We  played  all  one  season  with  eleven  men. 
We  had  only  two  pitchers,  Clarkson  and  Mc- 
Cormick,  and   I   will  tell  you  those  eleven  men 
used  to  play  ball. 

One  time  twenty  years  ago  I  walked  down  a 
street    in    Chicago    in    company    with    some    ball 
players  who  were  famous  in  this  world,  some  of  them  are  dead 
now,  and  we  went  into  a  saloon. 

It  was  Sunday  afternoon  and  we  bowled  up.  We  walked  on 
down  the  street  to  the  corner  where  Siegel  &  Cooper's  store  is 
now.  It  was  a  vacant  lot  at  that  time.  We  sat  down  on  the 
curbing.  Across  the  street  a  company  of  men  and  women  were 
playing  on  instruments — horns,  flutes,  and  slide  trombones — and 
the  others  were  singing  the  gospel  hymns  that  I  used  to  hear 
my  mother  sing  back  in  the  log  cabin  in  Iowa,  and  back  in  the 
old  church  where  I  used  to  go  to  Sunday  school. 

And  God  painted  on  the  canvass  of  my  recollection  and 
memory  a  vivid  picture  of  the  scenes  of  other  days  and  faces. 

Many  have  long  since  turned  to  dust.  I  sobbed  and  sobbed 
and  a  young  man  stepped  out  and  said : 

"We  are  going  down  to  the   Pacific  Garden   Mission,   won't 
you  come  down  to  the  mission?     I'm  sure  you  will  enjoy  it." 
I  arose  and  said  to  the  boys : 

"I  bid  you  good-bye,"  and  I  turned  my  back  on  them.  Some 
of  them  laughed  and  some  of  them  mocked  me ;  one  of  them 
gave  me  encouragement ;  others  never  said  a  word. 

Twenty-three  years  ago  I  turned  and  left  that  little  group 
on  the  corner  of  State  and  Madison  streets  and  walked  to  the 
little  mission  and  dropped  on  my  knees  and  gave  my  heart  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

I  went  over  to  the  south  side  of  Chicago  and  joined  the 
Jefferson  Park  Presbyterian  -church. 

The  next  day  I  had  to  go  out  to  the  ball  park  and  practice. 
Every  morning  at  10  o'clock  we  had  to  be  out  there  and  prac- 
tice.    I  never  slept  that  night.     I  was  afraid  of 
the  horse-laugh  that  the  gang  would  give  me  be- 
cause I  had  taken  my  stand  for  Jesus  Christ. 

I  walked  down  to  the  old  ball  grounds.  I 
will  never  forget  it.  I  slipped  my  key  into  the 
wicket  gate  and  the  first  man  to  meet  me  after 
I  got  inside  was  Mike  Kelley. 

Kelley  had  a  heart  in  him  as  big  as  a  woman, 
and  he  came  up  to  me  and  gave  me  words  of 
encouragement.  Up  came  Anson,  Pfeffer,  Clark- 
son,  Flint,  Jimmy  McCormick,  Burns,  William- 
son, Dalrymple  and  George  Gore.  George  was  the  fellow  that 
I  was  most  afraid  of.  He  came  up  to  me  and  I  saw  a  tear 
glisten  in  his  eyes,  and  I  knew  that  I  had  his  sympathy  and  a 
great  load  rolled  off  his  shoulders.  There  wasn't  a  fellow  in 


30  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 

that  gang  who  knocked;    every  fellow  had  a  word  of  encour- 
agement for  me. 

That  afternoon  we  played  the  old  Detroit  club.  We  were 
neck  and  neck  for  the  championship.  That  club  had  Thompson, 
Richardson,  Lowe,  Dunlap,  Hanlon  and  Bennett,  and  they  could 
play  ball. 

I  was  playing  right  field  and  John  Clarkson  was  pitching. 
He  was  as  fine  a  pitcher  as  ever  crawled  into  a  uniform. 

Clarkson    is    in    an    insane    asylum    today;     he 
don't  know  his  wife  nor  any  of  his  children. 
What  put  him  there?     Cigarettes. 
I  have  seen  him  smoke  twelve  to  fifteen  boxes 
a   day,   and   when  he  crawled   out  of   the  baths   at 
Hot  Springs  I  have  seen  the  nicotine  that  thick  on 
the  water,  and  it  is  because  of  those  cigarettes  that 
John  is  crazy  today.    We  had  the  Detroit  club  beat 
three  to  two  at  the  last  half  of  the  ninth  inning. 

We  had  two  men  out  and  they  had  a  man  on 
second  and  one  on  third,  and  Bennett,  their  old 
catcher,  was  at  the  bat.  Bennett  lost  his  legs  un- 
der a  Missouri  Pacific  train.  He  staggered  under 
a  train  and  it  cut  off  both  legs.  He  is  running  a 
cigar  store  in  Detroit  today.  Charley  had  three  balls  and  two 
strikes  on  him.  Charley  couldn't  hit  a  high  ball ;  I  don't  mean 
a  Scotch  high  ball,  but  he  could  kill  them  when  they  went  about 
his  knee. 

I  holloed  to  John  and  I  said : 
"You  know,  keep  her  up  and  we  have  got  'em." 
You  know  every  pitcher  digs  a  hole  in  the  ground  where  he 
puts  his  foot  when  he  is  pitching.     John  stuck  his  foot  in  the 
hole  and  he  went  clear  down  to  the  ground.     Oh,  he  could  make 
them  dance.     He  could  throw  over-handed  and  the  ball  would 
go  down  and  up  like  that.    He  is  the  only  man  on  earth  I  have 
ever  seen  do  that.     John  went  clear  down  and  as  he  went  to 
throw  the  ball  his  right  foot  slipped  and  the  ball  went  low  in- 
stead of  high. 

I  saw  Charley  swing  hard  and  heard  the  bat  hit  the  ball 
with  a  terrific  blow.  I  saw  the  ball  rise  in  the  air  and  knew 
that  it  was  going  clear  over  my  head. 

I  could  judge  within  ten  feet  of  where  the  ball  would  light. 
I  turned  my  back  to  the  ball  and  ran. 

The  field  was  crowded  with  people  and  I  yelled,  "Stand  back !" 
and  that  crowd  opened  like  the  Red  Sea  when  Moses  stood  on 
the  bank.  I  ran  on,  and  as  I  ran  I  made  my  first  prayer;  it 
wasn't  theological  either,  I  tell  youl  that.  I  said,  God,  if  you 
ever  helped  mortal  man,  help  me  to  get  that  ball.  I  ran  and 
jumped  over  the  bench  and  stopped. 

I  thought  I  was  close  enough  to  catch  it.     I  looked  back  and 
I  saw  it  going  over  my  head,  and  I  jumped  and  shoved  my  left 
hand  out  and  the  ball  hit  it  and  stuck.     At  the 
rate  I  was  going  the  momentum  carried  me  on 
and  I   fell  under  the   feet  of  a  team  of  horses. 
I    jumped    up    with    the    ball    in    my   hand.      Up 
came  John  Hill  and  Tom  Johnson ;    Tom  is  now 
mayor  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.     He  said : 

"Here  is  $10  Bill,  buy  you  the  best  hat  in 
Chicago.  That  catch  won  me  $1,500.  Tomorrow 
go  and  buy  yourself  the  best  suit  of  clothes  you 
can  find  in  Chicago." 

I  believe  God  helped  me  to  catch  that  ball. 
Listen !     Mike  Kelley  was  sold  to  Boston  for 
$10,000.      Mike   got   half   of   the   purchase   price. 
He  came  up  to  me  and  showed  me  a  check  for  $5,000.    John  L. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  31 


Sullivan,  the  champion  fighter,  went  around  with  a  subscription 
paper  and  the  boys  raised  over  $12,000  to  buy  Mike  a  house. 

They  gave  Mike  a  deed  to  the  house  and  they  had  $1,500  left 
and  gave  him  a  certificate  of  deposit  for  that. 

His  salary  for  playing  with  Boston  was  $4,700  a  year.  At 
the  end  of  that  season  Mike  had  spent  the  $5,000  purchase  price 
and  the  $4,700  he  received  as  a  salary  and  the  $1,500  they  gave 
him  and  had  a  mortgage  on  his  house.  And  when  he  died  down 
in  Pennsylvania  they  went  around  with  a  subscription  paper  to 
get  money  enough  to  put  him  in  the  ground.  Mike  sat  there  on 
the  corner  with  me  twenty-three  years  ago  when  I  said  I  bid 
you  good-bye. 

Williamson  was  the  shortstop,  a  fellow  weighing 
225  pounds  and  a  more  active  man  you  never  saw. 

When  Spaulding  took  the  two  clubs  around  the 
world  I  was  the  second  man  asked  to  sign  the  con- 
tract. I  was  sliding  to  second  base  one  day,  I  al- 
ways slid  head  first  and  I  hit  a  stone  and  cut  a 
ligament  loose  in  my  knee. 

I  got  a  doctor  and  had  my  leg  fixed  up  and  he 
said  to  me : 

"William,  if  you  don't  go  on  that  trip,  I  will 
give  you  a  good  leg."  I  obeyed  and  I  have  as  good 
a  leg  today  as  I  ever  had.  They  offered  to  wait 
for  me  at  Honolulu  and  at  Australia.  Spaulding 
said  meet  us  in  England  and  play  with  us  through  England, 
Scotland  and  Wales.  I  didn't  go. 

Williamson  went  with  them,  and  while  they  were  on  the 
ship  crossing  the  English  channel  a  storm  arose  and  the  cap- 
tain thought  the  ship  would  go  down. 

Ed  dropped  to  his  knees  and  prayed  and  said : 

"God,  bring  this  ship  safe  into  a  harbor  and  I  promise  to 
quit  drinking  and  be  a  Christian." 

God  abated  the  storm  and  the  ship  went  into  the  harbor 
safely.  They  came  back  to  the  United  States  and  Ed  came  back 
to  Chicago  and  started  a  saloon  on  Dearborn  street. 

I  would  go  through  there  giving  tickets  for  the  Y.M.C.A. 
meetings  and  would  talk  with  him  and  he  would  cry  like  a  baby. 

I  would  get  down  and  pray  for  him,  and  would  talk  with 
him.  When  he  died  they  put  him  on  the  table  and  cut  him  open 
and  took  out  his  liver  and  it  was  as  big  as  a  tobacco  bucket. 

Ed  Williamson  sat  there  on  the  street  corner  with  me  twenty- 
three  years  ago  when  I  said,  "I  bid  you  good-bye." 

John  Ward  is  another  who  sat  on  the  street  corner  with  me 
that  day  and  John  Ward  is  now  one  of  the  leading  attorneys 
for  the  Brooklyn  Rapid  Transit  Company.  Frank  Flint,  our 
old  catcher,  who  caught  for  nineteen  years,  drew  $3,200  a  year 
on  an  average.  He  caught  before  they  had  chest  protectors  and 
masks  and  gloves.  He  caught  bare  handed. 

Every  bone  in  the  ball  of  his  hand  was  broken ;  you  never 
saw  a  hand  like  Frank  had.  Every  bone  in  his  face  was  broken 
and  his  nose  and  cheek  bones,  and  the  shoulder  and  ribs  had 
all  been  broken.  Frank  was  discharged  from  the  Chicago  club 
because  he  would  drink  and  nobody  else  wanted  him. 

He  used  to  hang  around  the  saloon  all  the  time.  Many  a 
time  I  have  found  poor  old  Frank  asleep  on  a  beer  table.  I 
turned  my  pockets  wrong  side  out  and  dumped  every  cent  I  had 
on  the  table  and  I  said : 

"Frank,  you  can  always  look  to  me  for  half  of  what  I  have." 
I  haven't  as  much  now  as  I  had  when  I  was  playing  ball.  Then 
I  was  drawing  $5,000  and  $7,000  a  year  and  was  offered  $1,000 
a  month  if  I  would  play  ball. 


32  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


His  wife  left  him  and  one  day  he  staggered  out  of  a  saloon 
and  was  seized  with  a  paroxysm  of  coughing.     His  wife  hap- 
pened to  meet  him   and   the  old  love    for  him   returned.     She 
called  a  carriage  and  summoned  two  policemen  and  they  carried 
Frank  to  her  boarding  house.     She   summoned   five  physicians, 
the  best  physicians  that  money  could  buy,  and  said : 
"Men,  men,  save,  save,  save  Frank." 
They  said : 

"Mrs.  Flint,  we  can't,  we  can't." 
Frank  heard  them,  and  he  said : 
"Send  for  Bill." 

I  hurried  over  to  the  house  and  as  I  stood  beside  his  bed  he 
reached  up  his  left  hand  and  reached  it  around  my  neck  and 
drew  me  down  to  him.  He  said : 

"Bill,  there  is  nothing  that  gives  me  so  much  comfort  as  to 
have  you  come  down,  on  an  occasion  like  this.  I  can  see  the 
crowd  hissing  when  I  strike  out  and  they  need  a  run,  and  I 
can  hear  them  cheer  as  I  catch  a  foul  tip,  or  throw  a  fellow  out 
on  the  base.  But  it  don't  do  any  good  now,  when  I  come  to  a 
time  like  this." 

Frank  coughed  and  his  life  went  out. 

Frank  Flint  sat  on  the  street  corner  with  me  twenty-three 

years  ago  when  I  said,  boys,  I  am  through. 

^^  I  stand  before  you  honorable  citizens  of  Spring- 

m£&  field  and  Bloomington,  and  the  surrounding  towns, 

^^f^          and  I  ask  you  to  live  a  better  life  and  leave  the  devil. 

^Hj  Say,  I  am  through,  I  am  through,  by  the  grace 

and  help  of  God  Almighty. 

fl  I  tell  you  boys,  I  wish  my  mother  had  been  well 

fl  enough  to  be  here  this  afternoon. 

I   have   helped    to   put   those   gray   hairs    in   her 

head,  and  I  have  caused  that  body  to  be  bent  over 

H  and  I  have  caused  those  long  wrinkles  in  her  sweet 

old  face.     But  I  say  to  her : 
f    M  "Mother,  sit  at  your  ease  and  comfort  the  rest 

of  your  days." 
And  I  am  trying  my  best  to  atone  for  them. 

leaf  iltttoi  Aifcmfc 

ONE  of  the  most  interesting  sights  at  these  meetings  was 
the  great  body  of  Jacksonville  deaf  mutes,  who  quite 
regularly  attended.  Many  of  their  number  were  con- 
verted. The  Sunday  sermons  were  interpreted  to  the  mutes  by 
Prof.  Frank  Reed,  Jr.,  of  the  State  School  at  Jacksonville.  He 
is  an  ardent  Christian  and  through  his  efforts  in  the  Springfield 
meetings  between  thirty  and  forty  mutes  have  been  converted. 

Prof.  Reed  stood  up  and  repeated  to  the  mutes  just  what 
Mr.  Sunday  said,  and  it  was  a  very  unique  and  interesting  sight 
to  watch  the  movements  and  gestures  of  the  interpreter.  He 
would  enter  into  the  spirit  of  Mr.  Sunday's  discourse,  and  it 
could  be  plainly  seen  that  he  became  intensely  interested  and 
enthused  in  his  work.  The  expression  on  the  faces  of  the  mutes 
would  brighten  up  as  he  said  something  amusing,  in  fact  it 
could  be  plainly  seen  that  through  the  aid  of  their  interpreter, 
they  were  enabled  to  enjoy  all  that  Sunday  said. 

When  the  collection  for  the  current  expenses  was  being  taken, 
the  deaf  mutes  gave  ten  dollars,  proving  their  appreciation. 
Mr.  Sunday  referred  to  the  fact,  saying  that,  "If  men  who 
could  not  hear  a  word  of  what  I  say  were  contributing  to  this 
extent,  what  ought  some  of  you  fellows  down  there  do  who 
hear  it  all?" 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  33 


"  &?ntum 

Ten   Thousand   Men   Thrilled   as   "Billy"    Sunday   Delivers   His 
Great  Address  on  "Booze"  Sunday  Afternoon,  April  4th. 

G.  Walter  Barr  writes  of  the  sermon  as  follows : 

HIGH    above    a   level,    pinkish-brown    level   of   living    faces 
stood  a  man,  the  apostle  of  action,  waving  a  large  Amer- 
ican flag  toward  high  heaven  and  with  it  lifting  ten  thou- 
sand men   out  of   their   seats,   out  of  their   ordinary   selves,   to 
make  of  them  a  moving,  cheering  mass  of  enthusiastic,  but  prac- 
tical concrete  patriotism.     Perched  there  high  above  the  heads 
of  the  people,  the  man  wore  only  shirt  and  trous- 
ers— the  trousers  turned  up  at  the  bottom  and  held 
up  by  a  leather  belt  at  the  top — the  white  shirt  wide 
open   at  the  throat  and   with  the  sleeves  rolled  up 
to  the  elbows.     He  stood  at  his  full  height,  a  lithe, 
athletic  figure,  stretching  up  on  his  tiptoes,   far  up 
on  top  the  elevated  pulpit,  until  his  head  was  almost 
touching  the   electrolier   just   below   the   rafters   of 
the   building.     But   higher   yet  he,  waved   the   stars 
and  stripes  that  sometimes  flapped  around  his  body 
and  sometimes  hid  his  set,  stern  face,  blazing  eyes 
and   square  jaw,  between   which  his  mobile   mouth 
was  pouring  out  a  veritable  torrent  of  oratory  and 
a  furious  defiance  of  his  adversaries.  Standing  there, 
slowly  sweeping  the   oldest  flag  in  the  world  back 
and  forth  as  the  symbol  of  the  best  there  is  in  government,  he 
angrily  trampled  beneath  his  stamping  feet  the  red  flag  of  an- 
archy and  anathematized  it  to  the  great  crowd  of  men  under  his 
spell. 

Sunday  cleared  for  action  before  he  started  into  the  biggest 
bombardment  anybody  ever  gave  booze.  He  slipped  off  his 
cuffs  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  platform  and  cast  them  upon 
the  piano.  While  the  crowd  was  singing  "Yield  Not  to  Temp- 
,  tation,"  he  took  off  his  coat  and  threw  it  at  Ackley's  head  be- 
low and  behind  him.  Then  he  took  off  his  collar  and  cravat 
and  gently  dropped  them  into  the  big  lower  register  piano 
strings.  Next,  he  rolled  up  his  sleeves  carefully  to  the  elbows 
like  a  baseball  pitcher,  and  opened  his  shirt  collar.  A  little 
later  he  turned  up  his  trousers. 

And  thus  he  stood,  belted,  a  trim,  straight,  trained  athlete, 
with  a  face  from  which  had  faded  the  smile  generally  more  or 
less  there — a  face  of  omnipotent  determination,  with  the  square 
jaw  and  the  latent  fire  in  the  eyes  that  some  of  us  saw  last  in  the 
face  of  a  pugilist  who  was  entering  the  ring  to  stay  fourteen 
rounds  of  hard  hitting  and  no  clinches. 

Thus  he  stood — for  the  minute  necessary  to  draw  that  snap- 
shot sketch — and  that  was  the  only  minute  he  stood — after  that 
for  two  hours  he  was  not  standing — he  was  gyrating — jumping — 
leaping — rushing — waving — falling  prone — striking  with  his  fists 
— stamping  with  his  feet — leaning  over  the  audience — leaning 
backward  in  a  curve — pointing  a  sharp  index  finger  through  a 
window  a  half  block  away — standing  on  a  chair — thrusting  a 
clenched  fist  through  the  flimsy  board  roof— once  upon  a  time,  a 
flying  machine  got  mixed  up  with  a  windmill  in  a  Kansas  tor- 
nado, and  that  was  a  little  like  Sunday's  gesture  method  yester- 
day afternoon.  When  the  work-out  was  over,  Sunday  looked 
like  a  man  caught  out  in  a  downpour  of  rain — he  was  as  wet 
with  perspiration  as  if  he  had  fallen  into  the  Sangamon  river. 


34  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 

The  audience  had  its  own  dramatic  part  when  Sunday  asked 
all  who  would  back  his  fight  on  the  liquor  traffic  with  all  their 
might  to  stand  up.  Practically  all  the  10,000  stood  on  the  floor 
and  on  the  benches  and  sang  "My  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee,"  and 
"John  Brown's  Body"  as  only  10,000  men  can  sing  it,  while 
Sunday  waved  over  them  the  big  American  tri-color. 

The  first  visible  result  of  it  all  was  the  long  pro- 

IT-T  cession  of  men  who  came  down  the  aisles  to  add  them- 

/V'  selves  to  the  number  of  professed  converts  to  the  gos- 

L  pel   of    Christ.      They   came   single,    in    pairs,    in    little 

^L  groups,    but    always    they    came,    pressing    forward    to 

shake  the  hand  of  the  evangelist  in  token  of  their  con- 

^^         version.     They  were  men  of   a   high  class   of  citizen- 

^b         ship  and  from  all  vocations  and  of  all  types  of  mas- 

jjfr          culine  humanity.     They  came  until  125  were  seated  on 

ff  the  front  benches — 125  perfectly  representative  citizens 

J^  of  the  capital  city  of  Illinois. 

The  music  was  a  great  feature  of  the  meeting. 
It  was  the  first  time  that  anybody  in  Illinois  ever  heard  a  chorus 
of  10,000  male  voices  singing  grand  old  hymns ;  the  first  time 
in  Illinois  that  10,000  men  whistled  "The  Beautiful  City"  in  con- 
cert. Not  often  has  been  heard  1,000  trained  male  voices  sing- 
ing as  an  excellent  choir  the  Hosanna  chorus  from  "The  Holy 
City."  Whether  one  be  a  music  critic  or  merely  a  normal  hu- 
man moved  by  good  music,  it  was  the  experience  of  a  lifetime 
to  hear  that  great  mass  of  men  sing  as  the  wonderful  Fischer 
induced  them  to  sing  by  the  magic  of  his  musical  domination. 


\lmuuw  Element  $rr&0minatr&  in  Bast  AttMenr*  of 
10,0110 


THE  sewerage  mains  of  vice  in  Springfield,  only  as  they  are 
parallel  to  those  of  other  cities,  were  flushed  by  a  flood 
of  oratory  and  argument,  as  they  have  not  been  in  the 
history  of  the  city.  Aghast  and  cringing,  the  audience  of  10,000 
held  silence  in  wonder  and  amazement  while  the  six-cylinder 
Prairie  type  contrivance  of  oratory  and  denunciation 
charged  with  all  the  effectiveness  of  a  Cyrus  at 
Bayblon  the  strongholds  of  hell  and  evil,  as  he 
pictured  they  exist  not  only  in  Springfield,  but  gen- 
erally up  and  down  the  land.  For  two  hours  he 
gripped  the  attention,  galvanized  the  conscience  and 
bent  the  wills  of  the  thousands  who  were  jammed 
within  the  walls  of  the  tabernacle.  Not  in 
the  campaign  had  he  so  exercised  his  power 
over  man  and  woman  as  he  exhibited  in  the  dis- 
course that  evening.  The  huddled  mass  of  humanity, 
crowded  and  crushed  as  it  never  had  been  in  the 
history  of  the  meetings,  was  held  as  in  a  vise,  while 
Sunday,  as  a  master  mechanic,  plunged  his  scalpel 
into  the  cohorts  of  iniquity.  No  one  stirred.  Not  a 
sound  was  to  be  heard  except  the  rasp,  strained  voice  of  the 
evangelist  as  he  hurled  his  fire  brands  of  condemnation  and 
earnest  pleading  out  into  that  vast  multitude.  Often  he  moved 
his  audience  to  laughter,  and  as  he  arose  to  an  oratorical  cli- 
max the  throng  would  sit  there,  spellbound,  only  to  give  en- 
couragement by  a  spontaneous  outbreak  of  applause. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  35 


iiatl  ®rain 

THIS  was  the  greatest  day  of  the  meeting  to  this  time.  In 
the  afternoon  Mr.  Sunday  preached  "When  the  Chick- 
ens Come  Home  to  Roost"  to  fully  9,000  men. 

In  the  course  of  his  sermon  Mr.  Sunday  related  his  famous 
railroad  story,  the  facts  and  particulars  of  which  are  vouched  for 
by  old  railroad  men  who  were  in  the  employ  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
at  the  time.  It  was  told  with  a  dramatic  intensity  of  both  words 
and  gestures  that  were  most  vivid  and  realistic.  The 
story  itself  to  read  it  is  tame  alongside  of  hearing 
it  rendered  by  "Billy"  Sunday.  Not  one  man  in  ten 
thousand  could  do  it  with  what  he  did.  It  is  as 
follows  : 

We  are  going  at  a  speedy  rate  to-day.  I  was  in 
Iowa  somewhere  coming  east.  The  Burlington  and 
the  Northwestern  railroads  were  having  a  contest 
for  carrying  the  United  State^  mail.  For  about  a 
month  the  two  rpads  had  been  running  neck  and 
neck. 

It  was  in  February;  that  time  of  year  when  it  is 
hard  to  make  steam. 

The  train  came  into  Creston  Lake.  George  Goodrich  was  to 
carry  her  through  the  Union  Pacific  transfer  at  Council  Bluffs. 
Goodrich  climbed  into  the  cab  and  while  the  emergency  brake 
was  being  tested  and  the  big  mogul  coupled  on  behind,  Superin- 
tendent Storrs  ran  over  to  the  engine  and  shouted  : 

"George,  the  Northwestern  mail  is  on  time  and  you  are 
forty-seven  minutes  late.  Burn  up  your  time  card,  for  we  have 
given  yon  a  clear  track  to  the  Union  Pacific  transfer.  Put  her 
through  on  time,  or  put  her  in  the  ditch." 

George  didn't  answer  but  he  opened  the  throttle  and  the  train 
responded  instantly.  Before  he  was  out  of  the  yards  he  was 
traveling  thirty  miles  an  hour. 

We  all  got  on  the  platform  of  our  train,  and  I  can  see  the 
mail  to-day  as  she  came  down  the  track  toward  the  station.  I 
caught  a  glimpse  of  George  Goodrich  as  the  train  came  down; 
his  cap  pulled  down;  his  jumper  collar  pulled  up  and  his  hands 
on  the  throttle,  his  eyes  straight  ahead. 

A  slight  snow  had  fallen  that  morning,  and  after  one  glimpse 
we  could  see  nothing  on  account  of  the  snow  that  was  swirling 
around  the  oncoming  monster.  The  conductor  of  the  local  was 
standing  near  me,  looking  at  the  train  in  a  dazed  sort  of  a  way. 

Turning  to  him,  I  shouted,  "My  God,  Tom,  how  fast  is  she 
going?" 

"Going?  Bill,  she  is  going  eighty  miles  an  hour  if  she  is 
turning  a  wheel;  if  she  ever  jumps  the  track  she  will  go  clear 
outside  of  the  right  of  way." 

On  and  on  she  tore.     She  reached  the  Glen- 
^^j*S          wood  hills.     I  was  talking  to  the  fireman  after- 

afm^  wards,  and  he  said  : 

^^Br  "I  had  loaded  her  fire  box  full,  and  when  we 

^Li*  came  to  the  Glenwood  hill  I  watched  to  see  what 

^F^Bt*f  George  would  do.     Bill,  he  let  her  out  two  more 

m  notches  as  she  reached  the  top  and  lunged  down 

J  grade.     I  just  dropped  on  my  knees  and  prayed." 

The     swaying   engine    tore   on   and   on;     she 

leaped  from  her  rails  so  far    the  flanges  nearly 

•^^  went  outside.    She  slipped  her  brasses  and  melted 

her  babbits  and  when  she  rolled  into  the  Union 
Pacific  transfer  every  wheel  was  smoking  and  the  glasses  in  the 
cab  were  shattered. 


36  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


When  the  engineer  and  fireman  got  out  of  the  cab  they  could 
hardly  walk,  but  they  had  put  her  in  three  minutes  ahead  of 
time,  and  the  "Q"  is  carrying  the  fast  mail  to-day. 

You  get  out  and  hit  the  grit  one  hundred  miles  an  hour  for 
God  and  your  boy  will  follow  you. 


During  the  recital  the  cords  and  veins  in  the  preacher's  neck 
stood  out  like  whip  cords.  They  were  big  and  swollen.  Perspira- 
tion dropped  from  his  brow  in  a  veritable  stream.  He  was  tell- 
ing his  story.  That  was  all.  Those  who  missed  it  missed  a 
rare  treat. 


Sty*  3Ptrnt  (Hall 

ON  Saturday  evening,  March  13,  Mr.  Sunday  preached  one 
of  his  strong  _  sermons,  "Your  Sins  Will  Find  You  Out," 
and  at  this  time  he  gave  the  first  call  and  78  souls  re- 
sponded. 

At  a  special  children's  meeting,  held  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day,  306  signified  their  desire  to  become  Christians  by  go- 
ing forward. 


He  is  so  polygonal  that  to  see  him,  hear  him,  be  with  him, 
only  a  dozen  times,  is  sure  to  lead  to  misunderstanding  him — 
but  he  is  so  charming  in  personal  equation  that  to  meet  him 
once  is  to  like  him.  He  has  been  so  successful  that  he  well 
might  be  vain ;  but  humility  about  his  work  is  his  guiding  char- 
acteristic. He  is  as  sympathetic  as  a  woman ;  and  as  quick  to 
assert  his  rights  as  a  musician.  He  is  unlike  any  public  man 
in  history,  except  possibly  Napoleon  Bonaparte ;  and  this  fact 
is  what  makes  him  appreciated,  praised  and  loved  by  some  of 
the  most  careful  students  of  men  in  America. 

G.  WALTER  BARR. 


A  good  and  great  man,  mighty  in  word  and  in  deed ;  a 
prophet,  and  more  than  a  prophet.  His  earnestness  impresses 
you ;  his  energy  and  vitality  astonish  you ;  the  vividness  of  his 
word  pictures  enchants  you  ;^  his  enthusiasm  fires  you.  Thou- 
sands hear  him  daily,  and  are  made  to  feel  that  with  Christ  they 
are  saved ;  without  him  they  are  lost.  The  church  has  been 
purged  and  strengthened  and  Springfield  is  being  turned  to  God. 
It  is  such  a  revival  of  religion  as  comes  to  a  community  but 
once  in  a  generation. 

C.  C.  SINCLAIR, 
Pastor  Stezvart  Street  Christian  Church. 


Cards  were  invented  for  the  amusement  of  a  crazy  king. 
They  were  made  to  please  the  old  idiot  and  from  that  day  to 
this  they  have  done  nothing  else  but  stay  in  the  same  business. 

I've  got  more  respect  for  a  saloonkeeper  than  I  have  for  a 
dancing  master.  I'd  rather  have  my  daughter  dead  than  in  the 
hands  of  a  dancing  master. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  37 


SB  « 

OR  the  benefit  of  those  who  think  the  results  of 
the  "Billy"  Sunday  meetings  in  Springfield  will 
soon  wear  off  we  wish  to  offer  some  evidence 
and  facts  to  the  contrary. 

We  have  written  to  many  of  the  people  who 
have  worked  in  his  meetings  in  various  places, 
remaining  in  the  communities  and  watching  the 
permanent  results.  The  following  answers  to  our  communications 
should  be  all  that  is  necessary  to  convince  any  fair-minded  per- 
son that  Mr.  Sunday's  work  is  permanent  and  the  results  will  be 
evident  not  only  through  this  generation,  but  for  generations  to 
follow. 


Olmtt  Manama  Arr  Norn  &tattfotttg  Hint*. 
Urmarkable  in 


March  30,  1909. 
Mr.  C.  U.  Williams. 

I  was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Sharon,  Pa.,  while 
William  A.  Sunday  led  the  union  movement  there.  He  is  the 
greatest  preacher  I  ever  listened  to,  the  greatest  religious  gen- 
eral, I  believe,  that  the  world  holds,  and  he  is  a  manly  man 
from  the  'crown  of  his  head  to  the  sole  of  his  foot.  The  results 
of  the  movement  were  remarkable,  in  number  4755  making  pro- 
fession of  Christ.  They  were  remarkable  in  the  classes  reached, 
for  business  men  and  professional  men  of  the  most  conservative 
type  were  reached,  as  well  as  the  mill  men.  They  are  remarkable 
for  the  permanence  of  the  results,  for  the  great  mass  are  now 
standing  true.  I  consider  William  A.  Sunday  the  greatest 
evangelist  of  the  age.  Sincerely, 

REV.  A.  F.  PURKISS. 


2flfi  Ahbttwna  to  0U?urrlf.    After  ©nr  $  rar  IBB 
Aritt* 


BLOOMINGTON,  ILL. 
Mr.  C.  U.  Williams. 

DEAR  SIR:  —  In  answer  to  your  letter  of  inquiry  will  say  that 
on  March  I,  1908,  I  received  206  members  into  the  fellowship  of 
our  church  as  a  result  of  the  Sunday  meetings.  On  March  7, 
1909,  I  had  an  anniversary  service  and  asked  all  those  present 
who  were  received  one  year  ago,  to  stand  up,  and  about  150 
stood.  I  could  account  for  28  who  had  been  dismissed  by  letter 
during  the  year.  I  could  account  for  ten  others  who  were  sick 
or  working  on  the  railroad.  This  to  me  was  a  splendid  showing 
and  proves  that  Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday's  work  "holds  put"  as  well  as 
any  evangelist's  work  I  have  had  any  experience  with. 

Yours  truly, 

U.  S.  DAVIS. 
Pastor  First  Baptist  Church. 


38 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Ijaa  Abanlttt?  (Emtfttenre  in  ilr.  g>wtfoag*B  QHfriattatt 
Character 

ALEDO,  ILL.,  April  i,  1909. 
Mr.   C.   U.   Williams. 

I  have  often  wondered,  when 
reading  the   various    char- 
acter    sketches      of     Rev. 
Sunday,      what     he,      himself, 
thinks   of  them    and   whether, 
after  he  has  read  them  all,  he 
really     feels     that    he    is     ac- 
quainted   with   himself.  . 

This  uncertainty  acts  as  a 
brake  on  any  impulse  I  might 
have  to  indulge  in  any  fine- 
spun character  analysis  of  him. 
I  am  therefore  fully  content 
to  express  my  absolute  confi- 
dence in  his  big,  lovable, 
Christian  character.  I  fail  to 
see  where  anything  else  can 
possibly  be  in  issue,  for  his 
power  in  the  religious  world 
is  established.  To  this  fact 
his  enemies  unintentionally 
pay  tribute  by  the  very  in- 
tensity of  their  opposition. 

I  only  wish  that  I  might  be 
able  to  present  on  the  final 
day  a  life  as  religiously  de- 
voted as  his. 

HENRY  E.  BURGESS, 
County  Judge  Mercer  County. 


at 


BLOOMINGTON,  ILL.,  March  25,  1909. 
Mr.  C.  U.  Williams. 

The  Sunday  meetings  at  Springfield  are  marvelous.  A  year 
ago  Mr.  Sunday  was  not  in  high  favor  in  that  city.  His  meth- 
ods were  not  generally  approved.  His  results  were  criticised. 
His  sincerity  was  questioned.  There  was  little  interest  in  the 
object  he  sought  to  attain. 

To-day,  Springfield,  from  the  police  force  to  the  legislature 
and  executive,  is  at  his  feet. 

Mr.  Sunday  recorded  an  old  fashioned  army  musket  indict- 
ment against  the  whole  city  and  the  great  number  of  "pleas  of 
guilty"  that  are  coming  in  show  the  truth  of  the  charge. 

Church  members  have  been  awakened  to  Christian  duty. 
Sinners  have  been  brought  to  repentance.  Men  who  have  not 
seen  the  inside  of  a  church  for  years  have  been  converted. 
Lawyers,  doctors,  business  men  and  politicians  are  convicted  and 
publicly  acknowledge  that  "Bill  is  right"  and  they  are  wrong. 
The  governor  has  honored  the  movement,  much  to  his  credit, 
by  his  presence. 

Nothing,  that  she  has  ever  done,  speaks  so  well  for  Spring- 
field, as  her  inviting  Mr.  Sunday  and  his  wonderful  aggregation 
to  come  there. 

R.  L.  FLEMING. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


39 


Whiskey  has  a  place  and  that  place  is  in  hell,  and  I'm  going 
to  try  to  give  it  a  push  to-day  that'll  send  it  into  hell. 


Seventy-five  per  cent  of  our  idiots  came  from  drinking 
parents. 

The  saloon  of  Springfield  is  the  sum  of  all  villainies.  It  is 
the  principal  source  of  crime. 

You  whiskey  gang,  you've  been  cussing  and  damning  me  all 
up  and  down  this  land.  Come  on !  Come  on !  I  defy  you  to 
walk  up  and  defy  me  to  my  face. 


40 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


.  OL  A.  Nam 


THE  matter  of  a  Y.W. 
C.    A.    was    brought 
into    prominence    at 
a  meeting  held  at  the  First 
M.    E.    Church,    March    29, 
led  by  Mrs.  Muirhead. 

It  was  a  wonderful  gath- 
ering. Springfield  never 
saw  the  like  of  it  before. 
There  they  were  —  the  earn- 
est, hard-working,  toiling 
girls  who  are  an  important 
part  of  our  municipal  life 
and  our  city's  progress. 
The  great  sanctuary  was 
crowded  with  them,  and 
their  bright,  hopeful  eyes 
sparkled  with  delight  as 
they  surveyed  the  scene 
staged  for  their  benefit,  and 
for  the  one  purpose  of  ad- 
vancing fheir  moral  and 
material  interests. 

Mrs.  Deneen  sat  upon 
the  platform  with  Mrs. 
Muirhead,  and  was  visibly 
impressed  by  the  presence 
of  so  manv  girls  and  their 
hopeful  expressions.  It  had  not  been  planned  for  Mrs.  Deneen 
to  talk  to  the  girls,  but  she  was  so  interested  she  wished  to  say 
a  few  words  to  them.  Much  earnest  applause  greeted  her,  but 
there  was  a  far  more  eloquent  evidence  of  appreciation  in  those 
faces  of  the  girls  indicative  of  a  flow  of  heart,  of  responsive  sen- 
timent, of  deep,  genuine  sentiment  in  devotion  to  lofty  ideals. 
Mrs.  Deneen  urged  upon  her  hearers  that  she  wanted  to  con- 
vince them  that  she  was  interested  in  them,  and  that  she  hoped 
the  day  would  soon  come  when  there  would  be  a  greater  degree 
of  co-operation  between  the  members  of  her  sex  in  Springfield 
for  their  general  advancement  spiritually  as  well  as  materially. 

The  response  to  the  suggestion  that  they  establish  a  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  in  Springfield  was  spontaneous. 
When  Mrs.  Muirhead  asked  all  to  stand  who  were  willing  to 
pay  a  nominal  fee  into  the  general  organization  of  the  Y.W.C.A. 
and  to  make  possible  the  organization  of  the  association  here, 
hardly  a  girl  remained  seated.  Then  Mrs.  Muirhead  asked 
them  why  they  favored  this  organization.  Many  arose.  There 
were  many  explanations,  among  them  that  they  would  have  a 
place  to  go  to  during  the  noon  hour,  a  place  to  go  to  lunch,  a 
place  to  spend  spare  hours  instead  of  on  the  streets  or  in  a 
cheap  place  of  amusement,  etc.  Many  good  reasons  were  ad- 
vanced. 


MRS.  CHARLES  S.  DENEEN 
Wife  of  the  Governor  of  Illinois 


At    Springfield,    Illinois  41 


QIoniiertH  Number  (®ne-ttjirii  of  Entire 


Mr.  C.  U.  Williams.  March  30,  1909. 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  express  my  opinion  of  the  effects  of 
the  Sunday  meetings  in  our  city  more  than  a  year  ago,  as  follows  : 

As  president  of  the  Ministerial  Association  of  Bloomington  I 
was  very  enthusiastic  in  our  two-year-long  endeavor  to  bring 
"Billy"  Sunday  and  his  efficient  corps  of  workers  to  our  city  for 
special  evangelistic  meetings.  Now,  that  over  a  year  has  elapsed 
since  those  memorable  meetings  I  find  my  enthusiasm  in  no  wise 
abated.  We  have  had  time  to  "try  out"  the  new  converts.  Of  the 
more  than  3,000  that  united  with  the  sixteen  churches,  after  the 
meetings,  over  200  united  with  the  church  of  which  I  am  pastor. 
As  a  rule  they  have  "made  good  ;"  and  a  large  percentage  of 
them  are  now  fervently  engaged  in  the  Master's  work,  and  are 
worthy  examples  in  Christian  devotion  and  church  loyalty.  These 
new  converts,  numbering  one-third  of  our  membership,  show 
their  sustained  interest  and  fidelity  by  their  church  attendance, 
and  support  to  the  extent  that  more  than  one-third  of  the  pres- 
ent supporters  of  the  church  locally,  and  more  than  one-third 
of  the  recent  contributors  to  the  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
enterprises  of  the  church  are  among  this  number. 

Never  has  the  city  had  such  a  moral  and  religious  awaken- 
ing, as  during  these  meetings,  the  splendid  effects  of  which  are 
still  felt.  Never,  in  the  history  of  Bloomington,  has  there  been 
such  unity  of  effort  and  splendid  Christian  fellowship,  among 
the  various  churches  here,  as  now.  Never  before  have  there 
been  such  large  and  efficient  organizations  of  men  in  Bible  and 
church  work  as  at  the  present  time.  While  the  meetings  did 
not  accomplish  all  that  we  desired,  yet  they  were  so  eminently 
beneficial  to  the  community,  to  the  churches,  and  to  a  vast  num- 
ber of  families  and  individuals  in  the  promotion  and  cultivation 
of  godly  and  sober  living,  that  it  seems  to  me  that  no  fair- 
minded  Christian  could  regret,  for  one  moment,  the  great  reli- 
gious campaign  of  last  year. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

R.  CALVIN  DOBSON, 
Pastor  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Bloomington,  III. 


310  ion*  uritf|  a  (Eommunttg,  ©nig  cUunir 
Cnur 


Mr.  C.  U.  Williams. 

The  influence  of  a  Sunday  campaign  is  'felt  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  life  of  the  community.  It  promotes  good  citizenship  ; 
exalts  the  Book  and  the  Christ;  strengthens  the  backbone  of 
Christians  ;  makes  drunkards  sober  ;  cleans  the  municipal  life,  and 
will  last  as  long  as  time.  Mr.  Sunday  is  fair  to  all  religious 
bodies  and  has  learned  the  art  of  courtesy  to  all  who  preach 
the  gospel.  When  he  is  done  with  a  community  only  those  who 
love  darkness  oppose. 

RUSSELL  F.  THRAPP, 
Chairman  Executive  Com.  Jacksonville  Campaign,  October,  1908. 


42  W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


dunurrtrit.    All  (Hussr^  Slrarlfrfo,  iLuith 
anfo  How.     *raUunt«i  (Outlaiurii 

OTTUMWA,  IOWA,  March  30,  1909. 
Mr.  C.  U.Williams. 

DEAR  SIR: — I  count  it  a  privilege  to  state  that  I  believe  Rev. 
W.  A.  Sunday  to  be  the  greatest  of  living  preachers,  after  hav- 
ing observed  his  work  in  two  of  my  pastorates.  It  is  one  of  the 
greatest  privileges  of  a  lifetime  to  go  wth  him  through  a  tab- 
ernacle campaign.  The  tabernacle  meetings  are  a  theological 
laboratory  where  one  may  not  only  hear  things  but  see  them 
accomplished  in  the  name  of  Christ.  While  other  preachers  may 
be  as  consecrated  as  he  they  have  not  the  gigantic  powers  of 
mind  and  heart  and  body  to  lay  upon  the  altar  for  the  Lord  of 
hosts.  He  has  the  ability  to  see  the  truth,  not  only  as  it  is  in 
the  Bible,  but  also  as  it  is  in  men  and  in  their  institutions,  and 
having  organized  the  facts  into  a  tremendous  gospel  sermon,  he 
hurls  it  with  such  might  that  both  high  and  low  are  moved  by 
the  thousands  to  life  and  service  in  Christ.  He  is  not  a  reck- 
less speaker,  but  rather  most  sensitive  to  all  of  the  finer  feelings 
in  man,  while  at  the  same  time  he  shows  himself  to  be  a  giant 
foe  of  all  forms  of  evil  wherever  found.  He  speaks  in  the  words, 
phrases,  and  terms  which  the  people  understand,  and  uses  them 
only  as  the  channel  of  truth  and  purity.  Thousands  of  converted 
and  refreshed  souls,  the  united  forces  of  righteousness  and  the 
outlawed  saloons  are  some  of  the  manifest  fruits  of  his  labors 
in  Ottumwa.  I  am  a  much  better  preacher  since  I  have  worked 
with  him.  Sincerely,. 

W.  H.  HORMEL. 


Satlg 

During  this  great  campaign,  one  of  the  most  important  and 
forceful  features  were  the  Cottage  Prayer  Meetings.  Under 
the  direction  of  the  chairman  of  this  committee,  Rev.  Inman. 
these  meetings  were  brought  to  a  success  both  in  numbers  and 
attendance,  and  there  were  hundreds  of  homes  in  the  com- 
munity thrown  open  to  prayer  meetings  that  had  never  before 
been  offered  for  such  a  purpose. 

There  were  weekly  meetings  at  the  executive  mansion,  and 
they  proved  a  great  success  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  Gover- 
nor and  Mrs.  Deneen  cheerfully  threw  open  their  residence  for 
this  purpose  every  Wednesday,  and  the  attendance  and  influence 
were  very  marked  and  notable.  The  influence  and  endorsement 
in  this  campaign  by  the  Governor  and  his  wife  have  been  highly 
appreciated  by  the  Christian  people  of  the  community  and  state. 
These  meetings  were  led  by  Mrs.  Sunday,  Mrs.  Muirhead,  Miss 
Miller,  and  others. 

These  Cottage  Prayer  Meetings  were  attended  by  as  many 
as  1,500  people  in  one  day.  This  is  quite  remarkable,  when  the 
duties  of  all  who  attended  these  meetings  are  considered. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


43 


©rgamzattott 


William  A.  Sunday  is 
above  all  else  the  prophet 
of  the  Lord  to  the  church 
today.  God's  message  to 
him  as  it  was  to  Isaiah,  is : 
"Cry  aloud !  Spare  not ! 
Lift  up  thy  voice  like-  a 
trumpet,  show  my  people 
their  transgressions,  and 
the  house  of  Jacob  their 
sins."  And  he  does  this  as 
no  other  man,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  uses  him  and  honors 
his  obedience. 

Mr.  Sunday's  chief  work 
is  to  overturn  the  low,  false 
standards  of  righteousness, 
which  a  worldly  church  has 
adopted,  and  to  set  up 
God's  standard  of  right- 
eousness. In  so  doing  he 
must  use  a  plainness  of 
speech  that  naturally  shocks 
over-nice  people,  but  this 
ruggedness  of  speech  is  a 
necessity.  He  impresses 
me  as  a  sincere,  faithful, 
consecrated  man  of  God. 

S.  W.  THORNTON,  D.D. 
Pastor  Kumler  M.E.  Church. 
Pres.  Ministerial  Ass'n. 


S.  W.  THORNTON,  D.  D. 


The  dance  brings  vice  and  virtue  in  such  a  grip  that  virtue 
is  powerless. 

Any  man  on  earth  knows  that  it  will  do  a  girl  no  harm  to 
keep  away  from  a  ball  room. 

It's  enough  to  make  a  man  catch  cold  to  look  at  the  cos- 
tumes worn  in  a  fashionable  ball  room. 

Do  you  go  to  the  dance  with  your  wife?  You  see  man  after 
man  claim  her  and  you  stand  there  and  watch  your  wife  folded 
in  his  long,  voluptuous,  sensual  embrace,  their  bodies  swaying 
one  against  the  other,  their  limbs  twining  and  intertwining,  her 
head  resting  on  his  breast,  and  you  stand  there  and  tell  me  there 
is  no  harm  in  it. 


44 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


G.  A.  HULETT 


Evangelist  Sunday  and 
party  have  given  me  the 
greatest  inspiration  of 
my  life.  They  are  God- 
sent  servants  of  inesti- 
mable value  to  Spring- 
field. Watch  co-opera- 
tion for  righteousness 
continue  to  grow  in 
Springfield.  Just  study 
the  results  in  the  Capi- 
tal City  and  other  "Sun- 
day towns"  in  Illinois. 
IRVING  E.  SPAULDING, 
Chief  Usher. 


I  have  never  listened  to 
a  more  earnest  and  fearless 
speaker  than  Mr.  Sunday. 
His  success  is  due  to  his 
honest  conviction,  his  set- 
ting forth  the  truth  as  laid 
down  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  his  courage  to 
tell  the  truth  to  all  peoples 
at  all  times.  Some  men 
tell  only  a  part  of  the  truth, 
but  Mr.  Sunday  tells  the 
"trtith,  the  whole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth."  He 
talks  to  men  as  no  man 
ever  talked,  and  it  carries 
conviction  to  men's  hearts 
because  he  tells  them  the 
truth.  His  work  in  Spring- 
field would  be  a  great  suc- 
cess if  he  had  no  converts 
at  all — just  for  the  moral 
uplift  to  the  city  that  would 
follow.  His  preaching 
causes  people  to  think 
along  moral  lines  and 
brings  them  to  a  realization 
of  their  own  religious 
needs. 

G.  A.  HULETT, 

Chair.   Music   Committee. 


L.  H.  WILLIAMS 
Pastor  South  Seventh  St.  Baptist  Church 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


45 


The  only  disappoint- 
ment we  have  had  in 
Mr.  Sunday's  work  is 
that  we  didn't  know. 
The  half  has  never  been 
told.  We  cannot  tell  it. 
You  must  hear  him  and 
see  the  results  to  know. 
God  knows,  and  if 
He  knows  and  cares 
about  what  has  been 
done  here  under  condi- 
tions different  from 
what  Mr.  Sunday  has 
ever  before  experienced, 
there  surely  is  a  place 
waiting  for  him  "over 
there."  Such  grit  and 
such  determination  as 
he  has  shown  has  made 
the  impossible,  possible 
and  apparent  failure, 
glorious  success. 

He  is  a  wonderful 
man  and  an  example  of 
what  can  be  done  with 
right  and  God  lined  up 
together.  His  plans  are 
wonderful  in  the  details 
and  his  organization  is 
made  perfect  by  the 


.    GUY  I.  COLBY 
Secretary  Executive  Committee 

helpers  with  which  he  surrounds  himself.  His  individuality  is 
apparent  everywhere  and  he  appeals  to  men  and  gets  them  and 
holds  them.  Springfield  Christians  honor  and  praise  him  for 
what  he  has  done  for  us  and  are  praying  that  he  will  overcome 
his  physical  ailments  which  have  almost  brought  about  a  col- 
lapse, and  that  he  will  be  spared  to  do  the  Master's  work  for 
many,  many  years  to  come.  The  world  needs  him. 

Sincerely  yours, 

GUY  I.  COLBY, 
Secretary  Executive  Committee. 


Nine-tenths  of  the  gambling  done  today  is  done  by  cards. 
The  Christian's  home  is  the  gambler's  kindergarten. 

Cards  are  society's  contribution  to  the  penitentiary,  the  scaf- 
fold and  hell. 

Eighty    million    dollars    changes    hand    every    day     through 
gambling. 

Progressive  euchre  means  progressive  steps  to  hell. 

I   believe   that   more   people   in   the   state   lose   their   religion 
over  cards  and  the  dance  than  over  the  saloon. 

As  long  as  the  dancers  will  do  as  they  do,  Bill  will  be  there 
to  talk  about  them. 

A   man   has   got  to  be  pretty  old   when   he   cannot   enjoy   a 
good  hug. 


46 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


W.  A.  PAVEY 


In  my  opinion  Mr.  W. 
A.  Sunday  is  one  of  the 
greatest  men  on  the  Amer- 
ican platform  today  and 
his  influence  for  good  in 
Springfield  will  be  felt 
twenty  years  hence. 

JOHN  E.   GEORGE, 
Treas.    Ministerial    Ass'n. 


Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday  will 
impress  anyone  who  hears 
him  with  the  fact  that  he 
is  terriblv  in  earnest — that 
he  believes  thoroughly  in  the 
doctrine  which  he  preaches. 
The  keynote  of  his  great 
power  with  men  is  that  he 
has  great  power  with  God. 
Mr.  Sunday  is  the  greatest 
soul-winner  of  modern 
times.  Mr.  Sunday  is  an 
actor,  an  orator,  a  scholar, 
a  profound  thinker  and 
one  of  the  most  finished 
artists  ever  seen  in  the  pul- 
pit. 

W.  A.  PAVEY, 
Chairman    Exec.    Coin. 


JOHN    E.    GEORGE 


At    Springfield,     Illinois 


47 


I  believe  Mr.  Sunday  is 
chosen  of  God,  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
fire,  and  his  trust  in  His 
Maker  makes  him  fearless 
to  preach  the  truth  without 
compromise. 

FRANK   T.   KUHI<, 
Chair.   Entertainment   Com. 


FRANK  T.   KUHL 
Chairman  Entertainment  Committee 


I  consider  Rev.  W.  A.  Sun- 
day a  genius  of  the  highest 
order,  an  expert  in  winning 
men  to  Christ,  and  the  most 
successful  evangelist  on  this 
continent.  He  is  certainly 
God's  chosen  instrument  and 
a  great  reformer  as  well  as 
evangelist. 

C.  P.  MASDEX, 

Pastor  First  M.  E.  Church. 


REV.  C.  P.  MASDEN 
Pastor  First  M.  E.  Church 


48 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


A  man  of  contrasts ; 
January  and  June,  Niag- 
ara and  Lake  Placid, 
Vesuvius  vomiting  lava, 
now  raining  daffodils, 
judgment  incarnate^  mer- 
ciful and  mild  like  .the 
Nazarene,  as  slangy  as 
a  hobo,  as  chaste  as  Ad- 
dison,  Billy  the  ball- 
tosser,  the  Reverend 
William  A.  Sunday,  the 
holy  man  of  God.  Ver- 
ily a  man  of  contrasts. 

EUCLID   B.    ROGERS, 
Pastor     Central     Baptist 

Church,        Springfield, 

III 


O.  O.  INMAN 


EUCLID  B.  ROGERS 
Mr.  Sunday  is  in  a  class 
by  himself.  No  one  can  be 
compared  to  him.  He  is  the 
Mt.  Everest  towering  high 
above  all  the  surrounding 
peaks.  He  stands  up  among 
the  mountains  of  God,  and 
with  a  majestic  sweep  he 
reaches  down  into  the  quag- 
mires of  iniquity  and  men  and 
women  are  snatched  away  and 
donned  in  the  garments  of 
righteousness.  Every  man  and 
woman  who  loves  decency  in 
Springfield  is  with  him.  He 
is  doing  a  great  work  here. 
Sin  is  toppling  on  its  throne, 
and  if  the  Christian  people 
would  work  as  hard  as  he 
does,  I  believe  there  would  not 
be  one  left  to  advocate  the 
cause  of  the  devil. 

O.  O.  INMAN, 

Pastor  United  Brethren  Church 
Chairman    of   Prayer   Meeting 
Committee. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


49 


I  have  now  worked  with 
Mr.  Sunday  through  two 
meetings,  so  I  feel  that  -J 
know  him  and  his  worlj.  Ilr 
is  a  preacher  of  righteousness, 
and  his  voice  is  heard]  against 
sin  and  for  a  better  life.  He 
stirs  the  consciences  of  men 
as  no  other  man  I  have  ever 
heard.  He  hurls  the  truths 
directly  at  men,  and  knowing 
men  he  hits  them  where  they 
are  living  wrong.  Under  his 
preaching  men  quit  their 
wickedness,  and  live  a  cleaner 
life.  He  drives  the  church 
members  to  a  higher  life  and 
many  begin  active  work  in  the 
church  following  his  meeting, 
who  before  did  but  little  for 
the  Master. 

A  meeting  led  by  him  dors 
two  things :  It  produces  a  re- 
vival in  the  churches,  and  a 
reformation  within  the  city. 
In  fact,  he  brings  about  the 
very  thing  he  says  is  his  pur- 
pose, "to  make  it  easier  for 
men  to  do  right,  and  harder 
for  men  to  do  wrong." 

I  am  glad  to  have  labored 
with  him  in  two  meetings. 

J.  R.  GOLDEN, 
Pastor   West   Side   Christian 

Church. 


J.  R.  GOLDEN 

Mr.  Sunday  is  in  a 
class  to  himself.  There 
is  none  other  "just  as 
good."  Inquirers  should 
ask  for  the  original  and 
accept  no  substitute.  He 
makes  good.  His  work 
will  abide. 

F.   W.  BURNHAM, 
Pastor     First     Christian 

Church. 


F.  W.  BURNHAM 


50 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Mr.  Sunday  is  more  than  a 
great  preacher,  more  than  a 
great  evangelist ;  he  is  a  great 
reformer.  And  just  as  in  the 
days  of  Ahab,  Elijah  appeared 
to  recall  Israel  from  Baal  to 
Jehovah,  and  in  the  days  of 
Tiberius  Caesar,  John  ap- 
peared to  call  God's  people 
from  dead  formalism  to  re- 
pentance in  preparation  for 
the  Coming  One,  and  in  a 
later  day  Savonarola  appeared 
as  a  power  for  righteousness 
in  a  corrupt  age,  so  in  these 
days  of  greed  and  graft  and 
vice  in  the  world,  and  of 
worldliness  and  formalism  and 
skepticism  in  the  church, 
there  is  a  man  sent  from  God, 
and  his  name  is  Sunday. 
D.  G.  CARSON,  D.  D. 


REV.  GILBERT  W.  CLAXON 
Pastor  Elliott  Ave.  Baptist   Church 


REV.  D.  G.  CARSON 
Pastor  Fourth  Presbyterian  Church 

It  has  never  been  my 
privilege  to  be  in  such 
a  religious  campaign  as 
the  one  now  being 
waged  in  Springfield.  I 
set  no  limit  on  the  final 
results.  As  it  now  ap- 
pears in  the  fourth  week 
of  the  meeting  this  will 
be  the  greatest  meeting 
of  W.  A.  Sunday's  evan- 
gelistic career  up  to  the 
present.  In  my  judg- 
ment Mr.  Sunday  has 
no  equal  in  the  evan- 
gelistic field  in  this 
country.  He  courts  no 
man  because  he  holds 
financial  or  political 
power,  which  is  no 
doubt  one  evil  that  has 
crept  into  modern  church 
circles.  To  Mr.  Sunday 
there  is  one  book,  the 
Bible,  the  inspired  word 
of  God ;  one  Saviour, 
Jesus  Christ,  one  way 
to  be  saved — by  the 
blood  of  the  crucified, 
buried  and  risen  Christ. 

GILBERT  W.  CLAXON, 
Elliott   Ave.    Baptist 
Church. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


51 


(great  Uter  at  Saterttad?  fiardj  21 


While  Sunday 
and  the  cause 
which  he  repre- 
sents were  the 
two  big  factors 
in  drawing  the 
thousands  to  the 
tabernacle  night 
after  night  and 
day  in  and  day 
out,  it  is  certain 
that  hundreds 
attended  the 
services  more  for  the  pleas- 
ure they  derive  from  listen- 
ing to  the  selections  of 
the  magnificent  chorus 
choir  and  the  soloists. 
Chorister  Fischer's  ability 
as  a  trainer  of  voices  has 
been  proven  beyond  a 
doubt  and  the  skill  he  has 
shown  in  getting  the  sing- 
ers, representatives  of  the 
churches,  who  never  had 
sung  together  before,  is  a 
thing  which  is  amazing. 
He  showed  wonderful  con- 
trol in  the  leadership  of 
that  mighty  throng  and 
each  day  showed  marked 
progress  and  a  proportion- 
ate degree  of  pleasure  in 
hearing  the  choir  sing.  Mr. 
Ackley,  presiding  at  the 
piano,  is  a  big  factor  in 
Fischer  s  success.  He  tick- 
les the  ivories  up  in  the 
clouds  and  thunders  down 
6n  the  base  notes  with  a 
touch  that  is  delightful  and 
his  accompaniments  are 
exceptional. 

The  climax,  however, 
was  reserved  for  the  night 
meeting.  Responding  no- 
bly to  the  leadership  of 
Chorister  Fischer,  the  cho- 
rus choir,  700  voices 
strong,  rendered  Sullivan's 
"The  Lost  Chord"  in  a 
manner  which  evidenced 
careful  drill  and  extended 
and  persevering  study. 
Probably  never  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  city  has  a  cho- 
rus of  such  magnitude  ap- 
peared before  the  public. 

Those  fortunate  enough 
to  hear  the  anthem,  de- 
clare that  never,  anywhere, 
did  such  a  chorus  render 


such  a  song  more  effect- 
ively. The  volume  of  song 
as  it  was  lifted  on  the  cli- 
max of  Sullivan's  master- 
piece was  soul-inspiring. 
The  mighty  throng  swayed 
under  the  leader's  baton 
with  supreme  unanimity 
and  the  closing  measures 
were  rendered  in  a  man- 
ner wlrch  brought  forth 
deafening  applause  from 
every  portion  of  the  tab- 
ernacle. 

Just  prior  to  the  sermon 
Mr.  Butler,  in  response  to 
a  request  of  a  traveling- 
man,  who  by  chance  was 
in  the  city,  and  who  had 
heard  him  sing  the  song 
years  ago,  sang  "The  Spar- 
row Song."  Although  sung 
several  times  since  the 
meetings  opened,  the  song 
has  lost  not  a  whit  of  its 
popularity  and  Mr.  Butler 
was  applauded  loudly  as 
he  finished. 


REV.  WILLARD  N.  TOBIE 
Pastor  Doug-las  Avenue  M.  E.  Church 


52 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Put  your  hand  in  the  fire  and  it  will  get  burned.     Monkey 
with  sin  and  you  must  also  pay  the  penalty. 


Sin  never  pays  anybody. 

Cards  and  dancing  are  worse  enemies  of  the  church  than  the 
saloon.  I  hate  the  saloon — good  God,  how  I  hate  'em — but  the 
church  loses  more  members  through  the  influence  of  cards  and 
dancing  than  by  the  saloon. 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


53 


(Cmttiereuma 

The  number  actually  con- 
verted through  the  instru- 
mentality of  these  meetings 
will  never  be  known.  It  is 
not  confined  to  Springfield 
alone.  The  influence  is  felt 
thousands  of  miles  and 
there  have  been,  people 
gloriously  .  co  n  v  e  r  t  e  d 
through  reading  reports  of 
this  campaign. 

The  total  number  of  con- 
versions to  date,  April  8, 
is;  3,'26l.  -  The  probability  is 
they  will  reach  4,500  or 
more.  These  are  simply  the 
ones  recorded  in  the  meet- 
ings, and  by  no  means  in- 
dicate the  total. 

Of  the  outside  influence 
of  these  meetings,  Rev. 
Leo  L.  Trotter  says,  .and  it 
is  just  as  true  of  Spring- 
field as  Spokane: 

First,  they  have  demon- 
strated that  revival  meet- 
ings are  a  good  thing,  a 
popular  thing,  a  worthy 
thing  for  men  to  engage  in. 
As  far  as  the  attention  of 
the  surrounding  country  is 
concerned  these  meetings 
have  been  the  biggest 
thing  of  the  season.  Big- 
ger than  state  fairs;  corn 
shows,  or  anything  of  the 
kind. 

Second,  these  meetings 
have  turned  /the  popular 
thing  along  religious,  lines, 
arousing  discussions  and 
promoting  interest  therein. 
Third,  numbers  have  at- 
tended and  in  the  meetings 
have  been  aroused  to  a 
white  heat  in  religious  en- 
thusiasm. Many  who  were 
not  Christians  have  be- 
come so. 

Fourth,  Billy  Sunday  has 
established  precedent  for 
plain  and  pungent  preach- 
ing. 

Fifth,  It  has  taught  the 
preachers  to  preach  in  the 
popular  tongue,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  street  and  the 
shop  and  the  mill. 

We  all  say,  "God  bless 
the  Sunday  meetings." 


REV.  F.  H.  GIVEK 
Pastor  Third  Presbyterian  Church 


MR.  G.  H.  SCHANBACHER 
Chairman  House  Committee 


54 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


Qfabmtarl? 


IRVING  E.  SPAULDING 
Chief  Usher 


GEORGE  E.  COE 
Chairman  Finance  Committee 


This  immense  building 
was  built  especially  for  the 
campaign  at  a  cost  of 
about  $5,000,  with  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  8,000  peo- 
ple in  the  main  auditorium, 
the  choir  seating  more 
than  800  in  addition. 

This  building  in  size  is 
about  200  feet  square,  and 
was  built  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Architect  Gill, 
whose  vast  experience  in 
building  structures  of  this 
kind  is  distinctly  shown  in 
each  appointment.  The 
seats  were  so  arranged 
that  the  entire  9,000  people 
are  in  a  position  to  see  the 
speaker's  platform  without 
any  difficulty,  and  the 
acoustic'  properties  are 
marvelous.  There  were 
frequently  10,000  people 
packed  in  this  structure, 
and  the  speaker  could  eas- 
ily be  heard  in  each  corner. 

The  choir,  seating  nearly 
1,000,  behind  the  platform 
and  the  thousands  in  front, 
presented  from  the  plat- 
form a  vast  sea  of  human 
faces  oii  every  side,  an  in- 
spiring sight  that  never 
will  be  forgotten. 

The  construction  of  this 
particular  tabernacle  is 
nearer  perfection  than  any 
of  the  previous  ones  built 
for  a  similar  campaign. 
The  entrances  to  the  choir 
were  numerous  and  sepa- 
rate from  the  main  en- 
trance. The  seats  were  re- 
markably comfortable.  The 
heat  and  ventilation  was 
infinitely  better  than  many 
of  the  permanent  struc- 
tures. 

In  all  probability  there  is 
no  other  place  in  the  state 
of  Illinois  where  so  many 
people  crowded  for  six 
consecutive  weeks  as  did 
in  this  Springfield  taber- 
nacle. Some  of  the  big 
days  it  is  estimated  that 
28,000  people  attended  the 
meetings,  to  say  nothing 
about  the  thousands  that 
could  not  be  admitted,  and 
were  taken  care  of  at  the 
overflow  meetings. 


At    Springfield.    Illinois 


55 


Atten&attrr 

There  have  been  various 
estimates  as  to  the  number 
attending  the  meetings  of 
this  great  campaign,  and 
the  figures  that  we  here- 
with offer  are  as  nearly  ac- 
curate as  is  possible  to  ob- 
tain : 

March  7 — 28,000. 
March  14 — 30,200. 
March  21 — 37,000. 
March  28 — 38,550. 
April  4 — 44,000. 
April  ii — 46,000. 

The  total  attendance  up 
until  April  8  had  been  con- 
servatively estimated  at 
520,000.  Besides  these  fig- 
ures there  were  myriads  of 
people  unable  to  gain  ad- 
mittance. 

Fred  Seibert  has  said 
that  some  of  the  people 
were  there  trying  to  get  in 
as  early  as  5  130  a.  m.  Sun- 
day mornings  in  order  to 
assure  them  of  a  seat,  and 
others  would  try  and  re- 
main in  the  building  dur- 
ing the  entire  day  in  order 
to  be  sure  of  a  seat  for  the 
evening  service. 


We  will  not  try  to  fur- 
nish any  adequate  descrip- 
tion of  these  meetings.  It 
would  require  the  pen  of 
the  poet  and  the  seer,  the 
philosopher  and  scientist, 
the  theologian  and  moral- 
ist, the  statistician  and 
philanthropist,  and  then 
the  report  would  fall  far 
short  of  giving  a  creditable 
account. 

At  these  meetings  for 
men,  the  enthusiasm  ran 
high  and  the  conviction 
deep  as  the  evangelist  vol- 
leyed the  truth  in  real 
masculine  style  at  the  vices 
and  virtues  of  men. 

Men  traveled  hundreds 
of  miles  to  get  to  these 
meetings  and  failed  to  gain 
admittance.  Scenes  inde- 
scribable in  and  outside 
the  tabernacle  took  place 


REV.  J.  F  <  McAUALLY 
Pastor  Laurel  M.  E.  Church 


REV.  W.  J.  JOHNSON 
Pastor  First  Congregational  Church 


56 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


REV.  J.  M.  SMALLEY 


UUmiru's 


Almost  as  remarkable  as 
the  meetings  for  men  were 
these  women  meetings. 
They  were  conducted  en- 
tirely by  the  women,  usu- 
ally led  by  Mrs.  Muirhead, 
who  has  a  distinct  indi- 
viduality, force  and  tact  in 
conducting  such  a  meeting. 
Women  ushers  seated  the 
6,000  to  8,000  who  assem- 
bled for  these  meetings, 
and  long  before  the  hour 
for  the  service  to  begin. 
the  street  would  be  packed 
with  eager  crowds.  In 
many  cases,  thousands  were 
turned  away  unable  to  gain 
entrance. 

These  meetings  were  fre- 
quently held  in  the  Ar- 
mory, which  was  only  a 
block  from  the  tabernacle, 
a  very  commodious  build- 
ing, well  equipped  for  the 
purpose.  The  leader  was 
able  to  make  herself  heard 
to  the  vast  audiences  that 


at  these  services.  Men  of 
all  classes,  from  all  quar- 
ters, touched  elbows  and 
listened  attentively  to  the 
burning  logic  and  facts  of 
the  evangelist. 

Mr.  Sunday  is  most  pow- 
erful with  men  and  he 
never  appears  to  better  ad- 
vantage than  when  he  is 
before  10,000  men.  In 
these  "meetings  he  would 
frequently  lay  aside  coat, 
vest,  collar,  tie,  cuffs  and 
suspenders,  roll  up  his 
sleeves,  as  though  prepar- 
ing for  a  race  or  ball  game, 
and  even  then,  he  would 
soak  with  perspiration  ev- 
ery stitch  remaining  on 
him. 

The  power  and  inspira- 
tion of  these  meetings  was 
indescribable.  Men  of  all 
grades  yielded  and  sought 
Christ  and  determined  by 
the  hundreds  to  live  better 
lives. 


REV.  J.  H.  LEMKAU 
Pastor    German  M.  E.  Church 


At    Springfield,    Illinois 


57 


usually  assembled.  The 
plain  truths  were  laid  be- 
fore them  in  a  most  force- 
ful manner. 


March  7  —  $  496.00 

March  14—  3715.25 

March  21  —  1021.62 

March  28  —    508.46 

April  4-     715.17 

The  above  figures  pertain 
to  these  dates  only,  and 
were  for  current  events  of 
the  meetings,  such  as 
building  tabernacle,  print- 
ing matter,  lights,  and  in- 
cidental expenses.  The  to- 
tal amount  of  the  collec- 
tions for  this  purpose  to 
date,  April  8,  amounting  to 
$9,483.83. 


THOMAS  D.  LOGAN 
Pastor  First  Presbyterian  Church 


He    preaches    to    the    con- 
science,   and    his   stirring    ap- 
peals    produce     conviction     of 
sin,  and  inspire    a  determined 
purpose  to  lead  a  better  life. 
THOS.  D.  LOGAN, 
Pastor    of    First    Presbyterian 
Church. 


REV.  WM.  H.  NICHOLAS 
Pastor  Grace  Evangelical  Lutheran  CJ.urch 


58 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


I  first  heard  Mr.  Sun- 
day in  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.,  when  he  was  with 
Dr.  J.  W.  Chapman.  I 
liked  his  work  then  and 
have  since  followed  his 
career  with  sympathy 
and  increasing  admira- 
tion. He  has  been  a 
growing  man,  because 
his  heart  was  in  his 
work  and  he  has  toiled 
unceasingly.  He  has 
climbed,  by  force  of  tal- 
ent and  by  dint  of  hard 
work,  to  the  apex  of 
evangelistic  success.  He 
is  a  prince  among 
preachers,  a  master  of 
eloquence,  a  convincing 
advocate,  a  consummate 
general.  The  results  of 
his  labors  are  little  less 
than  marvelous.  In  my 
opinion  there  is  no 
greater  evangelist. 

E.   E.   FRAME, 
Pastor    Plymouth    Con- 
gregational   Church. 


REV.  P.  J.  MARSILJE 


REV.  E.  E.  FRAME 

Before  Rev.  W.  A.  Sunday 
came  to  Springfield,  111.,  I  had 
very  great  expectations  of 
him ;  he  has  surpassed  them 
all.  Though  not  able  to  ac- 
cept all  that  he  says  or  ap- 
prove all  the  methods  which 
lie  uses,  I  have  learned  to  love 
him  as  a  conscientious  am- 
bassador of  the  cross  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  for,  he  is  no  re- 
spector  of  persons  or  class  of 
persons ;  he  exposes  and  re- 
bukes the  sins  of  all  alike,  of 
Christians  and  of  non-Chris- 
tians ;  he  labors  to  save  the 
souls  of  men,  regardless  of 
who  or  what  the  men  may  be ; 
he  preaches  Christ  and  Him 
crucified,  and  salvation  from 
sin  through  repentance  and 
confession  of  sins  and  through 
personal,  saving  faith  in 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 

He  is  another  John  the 
Baptist,  preparing  the  way  for 
the  second  coming  of  the 
Christ. 

P.  J.  MARSILJE, 
Pastor    of    Fifth    Presbyterian 
Church,   Springfield,   III. 


At    Springfield,     Illinois 


59 


HENRY  H.  HANSEN 
Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A. 


The  Sunday  saloon  is  run- 
ning open  in  defiance  of  the 
law. 


The  deadliest  foe  of  church, 
of  home,  of  state,  is  the  open 
licensed  saloon.  It  gives  you 
a  free  pass  to  hell. 

The  Reisch  brewery  and 
grog  shops  of  Springfield  have 
been  running  Springfield  long 
enough. 


1  f  you  weigh  want  and  mis- 
ery and  poverty,  squalor,  crime, 
tears,  wrecked  lives  and 
Mightcd  hopes  in  scales  with 
a  few  dirty  dollars  from  the 
whiskey  business  you  are  too 
dirty  and  low  down  for  me. 

The  saloon  is  the  stem 
around  which  gather  all  the 
festering  vices  of  the  country. 

The  saloon  is  a  coward, 
shielding  behind  stained  glass 
and  screens. 


C.  C    SINCLAIR 
Pastor  First  Christian  Church 


60 


W.    A.    Sunday    Meetings 


REV.  A.  P.  HIGLEY 
Chairman  Personal  Work 


You    might    as    well    try    to 
'  regulate  a  powder  mill  in  hell 
as  to  try  to  regulate  the  open 
;  licensed   saloon. 

Shut  off  the  dirty  business 
and  then  we  can  mop  up  the 
awful  results  of  the  saloon. 

Go  to  the  saloon  if  you  want 
to  learn  all  the  evils  of  the 
day. 


The  farmers !  You  say  they 
won't  come  to  town  to  trade 
if  there  are  no  saloons !  Then 
why  does  NOT  your  legisla- 
ture pass  a  county  option  bill 
and  let  the  farmers  vote  with 
you  on  the  saloon  issue?  The 
old  whiskey  gang  are  afraid 
of  the  farmer  vote.  They  lie 
when  they  say  they  are  for 
the  saloon  in  the  interest  of 
the  farmer.  The  old  jackass 
lies  and  you  know  it. 


S.  A.  P>ULLARD 
Chairman  Building-  Committee 


Through  reading 
Newspaper  accounts  of  the 
'Billy  Sunday  Meetings" 
there  have  been  many 
conversions  in  distant  States. 
Help  spread  the  work  by 
mailing  a  copy  of  this  report 
to  friends  not  so 
favored  as  you. 


On  receipt  of  28c  in  stamps, 
Publishers  will  mail  a  copy  to 
any  address. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


